P004983 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

All key entry types: Awards; Concepts; Corporate Bodies (Organisations); Cultural Artefacts; People; etc

These key entries are listed separately below with other indexes and lists.

 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2012-02-24 human Rebecca Rigby and Helen Cohn updated 2026-01-15 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P004983b.htm person Foley Catherine Patricia AO PSM FTSE FAA AACR2 10 October 1957 Place of Birth Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia Physicist Chief Scientist Science administrator Catherine Patricia Foley is a leading physicist with a research focus in superconducting sensors and nano-scale manufacturing. She joined the CSIRO Division of Materials Science and Technology in 1985 ultimately becoming Science Director and Deputy Director of the CSIRO Manufacturing Flagship in 2010, and Chief Scientist of CSIRO in 2018. Foley is active in professional organisations, serving in executive roles in several including the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies. She has also been appointed to a number of policy bodies. In 2007 she was co-recipient of the CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement for her work within the team that developed the mineral prospecting technology, LANDTEM. Foley was appointed Chief Scientist of Australia in January 2021.

"Cathy Foley's research is in the field of solid-state physics and its applications, combining quantum physics, material science and research translation. She has made significant contributions to the understanding of semi-conductors and high-temperature superconductors and to the development of field-deployable superconducting devices that locate valuable mineral deposits by detecting minute magnetic fields ten million times weaker that the Earth's field. As the first dedicated Chief Scientist of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Foley has also made significant contributions to Australian science through her advisory roles in the areas of education, science and technology to Federal and state governments and to numerous research and teaching institutions. Foley is also President and executive member of several peak scientific bodies, and is an inspirational speaker and role model, inspiring the next generation to solve major global challenges." [from www.science.org.au/profile/cathy-foley 1/3/2022]


Foley was awarded the following CSIRO medals:

2007 - CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement (as a member of the LANDTEM Team) for a significant world's first scientific and technical outcome in the development of the LANDTEM system for minerals exploration based on High Temperature Superconducting devices known as SQUIDs;

2021 - CSIRO Medal for Lifetime Achievement for her many achievements, including: her team's breakthrough work in 'SQUID'systems for mineral exploration, commercialised in LANDTEM technology; the development of a Quantum Technology Roadmap for Australia; and her strong advocacy for science.

1984 1984 Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Physics, Macquarie University 1985 1991 Career position - National Research Fellow, CSIRO Division of Materials Science 1988 1993 Career position - Science correspondent, radio station ABC 2BL 1989 Career position - Honorary research Associate, School of Physics, University of Sydney 1991 1996 Career position - Senior Research Scientist, Division of Materials Science and Technology 1995 1996 Career position - Acting Project Leader, Superconducting Sensors and Technology Project, CSIRO 1996 2000 Career position - Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Materials Science and Technology 1996 2009 Career position - Project Leader, Superconducting Devices and Applications Project, CSIRO 1999 Award - Fellow, Institute of Physics, United Kingdom 2000 2008 Career position - Senior Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Materials Science 2001 2004 Career position - Honorary Treasurer, Australian Institute of Physics 2003 Career position - Member of the Editorial Board, Conductor science and technology 2003 2003 Award - Public Service Medal (PSM) - for outstanding public service for research in physics, as a communicator and promoter of science within the community, and as a role model for women in science 2003 2004 Career position - Stream Leader, Applied Quantum Systems, CSIRO 2005 2005 Career position - Chair, 9th International Superconducting Electronics Conference, Sydney 2005 2006 Career position - Guest Editor, IEEE transactions in applied super conductivity 2005 2006 Career position - Vice-President, Australian Institute of Physics 2005 2007 Career position - Theme Leader, Nanoscale Manufacturing, CSIRO 2006 Career position - Member, National Committee for Physics, Australian Academy of Science 2007 2007 Award - CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement as a member of the LANDTEM Team) 2007 2008 Career position - President, Australian Institute of Physics 2007 2010 Career position - Research Program Leader, CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering 2007 2016 Career position - Member, Advisory Council, Questacon 2008 Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE) 2008 Career position - Member, Council on Superconductivity, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 2008 2008 Career position - Chair, 1st International NanoSQUID Symposium, Sydney 2008 2009 Career position - President-Elect, Federation of Australian Scientist and Technical Societies (FASTS) 2008 2010 Career position - Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Materials Science and Technology 2009 2011 Career position - President, Federation of Australian Scientist and Technical Societies 2010 2010 Career position - Deputy Chief Research, CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering 2010 2010 Career position - Co-Chair, 3rd International Conference on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Sydney 2010 2014 Career position - Chief, CSIRO Division of Materials Science and Engineering 2011 2011 Award - Mineral Industry Operating Technique Award (MIOTA) (team award), Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy 2014 2014 Award - Lloyd Rees Lecture, Australian Academy of Science 2014 2014 Award - Award for Continuing and Significant Contributions to Applied Superconductivity, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 2014 2018 Career position - Science Director and Deputy Director, CSIRO Manufacturing Flagship 2015 2015 Award - Outstanding Services to Physics Award, Australian Institute of Physics 2015 2015 Award - Clunies Ross National Science and Technology Award, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering 2016 2018 Career position - Chair, Policy Committee, Science and Technology Australia August 2018 December 2020 Career position - Chief Scientist, CSIRO 2019 2020 Career position - Board Member, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering 2020 Award - Fellow (by special election), Australian Academy of Science (FAA) 2020 2020 Award - Honorary Fellow, Australian Institute of Physics 2020 2020 Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) - for distinguished service to research science, to the advancement of women in physics, and to professional scientific organisations 2021 2021 Award - CSIRO Medal for Lifetime Achievement, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation 2021 31 December 2024 Career position - Chief Scientist, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet 2026 Career position - President, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Chief Scientist of Australia (1989 - )

Chief Scientist 2021 - 2024

 Clunies Ross National Science and Technology Award, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (1991 - 2015)

Received the Award 2015

 Questacon - The National Science and Technology Centre (1988 - )

Member, Advisory Committee 2007 - 2016

 Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council (1997 - )

Member 2009 - 2011

 Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies (FASTS) (1985 - )

President 2009 - 2011

 Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (1987 - )

Elected Fellow 2008; President 2026 -

 Australian Institute of Physics (1963 - )

President 2007 - 2008; Outstanding Services to Physics Award 2015; Honorary Fellow 2020 -

 Australian Academy of Science (1954 - )

Elected Fellow 2020 (by special election); Member, National Committee for Physics 2006 -

 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Commonwealth of Australia (1949 - )

Chief Scientist 2018 - 2020

 CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement (1985 - )

Awarded the Medal 2007 (with colleagues)

 CSIRO Medal for Lifetime Achievement, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (2002 - )

Awarded the Medal 2021

 Foley, Catherine P (19571010-)

Trove

 'Foley, Catherine Patricia (Cathy)', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Foley, Catherine Patricia (Cathy) Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Resource: Fellows of the Academy Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Fellows of the Academy 2024 Journal Article: Alan Harper: father of metric conversion Foley, Cathy; and James, Brian Alan Harper: father of metric conversion 2007 Australian physics 44 1 23 Journal Article: Lunch with Larry [Marshall] Foley, Cathy Lunch with Larry [Marshall] 2018 Australian Physics 55 2 47-52 Journal Article: Interview - Cathy Foley [incoming President of the Australian Institute of Physics] Foley, Cathy; interviewed by Horrigan, Corinna Interview - Cathy Foley [incoming President of the Australian Institute of Physics] 2007 Australian physics 2 6 209-10 Resource Section: Dr Catherine Patricia Foley, PSM: Officer of the Order of Australia Dr Catherine Patricia Foley, PSM: Officer of the Order of Australia Australian Government, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet 2020 It's an Honour Australian Honours and Awards Secretariat Resource Section: Dr Cathy Foley, Australia's Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley, Australia's Chief Scientist 2021 Australia's Chief Scientist Resource Section: Catherine Patricia Foley Ward, C. Catherine Patricia Foley Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) 2011 CSIROpedia Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Resource Section: CSIRO Entrepreneurship Award Ward, Colin CSIRO Entrepreneurship Award Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) 2013 CSIROpedia Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Resource Section: CSIRO Medal for Lifetime Achievement Ward, Colin CSIRO Medal for Lifetime Achievement Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) 2022 CSIROpedia Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)