CANBERRA, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Leading physicist Cathy Foley has been appointed as Australia's next chief scientist.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Monday that Foley, currently the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization's chief scientist, will take over from Alan Finkel whose tenure ends in December.

"As we recover from COVID-19 and look to rebuild a brighter future, the role of the chief scientist has never been more important," Morrison said.

"Dr. Foley has a big task ahead to drive collaboration between industry and the science and research community, as we look to create jobs for the COVID-19 recovery and for the future."

Foley, whose work has focused on solid-state physics and its applications, will be the second woman to serve as Australia's chief scientist after Penny Sackett who held the role between 2008 and 2011.

Her appointment was welcomed by the Australian Academy of Science, which elected Foley as a Fellow in May for her outstanding contribution to science.

"We look forward to continuing our work with the Office of the Chief Scientist under Cathy's leadership to provide science evidence to inform government decision making," John Shine, president of the academy, said in a statement. Enditem