Dr Cathy Foley was Australia’s ninth Chief Scientist holding the role from January 2021 to November 2024, after a long and distinguished career at the national science agency, CSIRO.

Over her four-year term as Chief Scientist, Dr Foley worked tirelessly to develop emerging technologies such as quantum, advocated powerfully for better research metrics, and championed Indigenous Knowledge systems and women in STEM.

Dr Cathy Foley’s scientific excellence and influential leadership have been recognised with numerous awards and fellowships, including being elected to the Australian Academy of Science in 2020, along with an Order of Australia for service to research science and to the advancement of women in physics. She was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Science and Engineering in 2008 and was elected as an honorary Fellow of the Australian Institute of Physics in 2019.

She was awarded Agenda Setter of the Year in the Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards in 2019, the Australian Institute of Physics Medal for Outstanding Service to Physics in 2016, and the Clunies Ross Medal of the Australian Academy of Technological Science and Engineering in 2015. In 2014, she was awarded the International IEEE Award for Continuing and Significant Contributions to Applied Superconductivity, and in 2013 she was named `Woman of the Year’ by the NSW Government.