The Cabinet nominated Stefan Vodenicharov, chairman of the Bulgarian Academy of Science (BAS), as minister of education, the government's press office said.
Earlier this week Sergei Ignatov resigned as education minister after an audit established a series of violations at the Scientific Research Fund - the body which distributes EU financing for scientific projects.
Vodenicharov's appointment will be put to the vote in parliament.
In an unrelated motion, the Cabinet named Andon Rokov, member of the State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission, as head of the commission.
Rokov will replace Angel Semerdzhiev who was dismissed over the regulator's failure to harmonise the national legislation with the EU third energy liberalisation package, as a result of which the country has been referred to the European Court of Justice and faces an 8,448 euro ($11,440) penalty payment per day for each of the two partially transposed directives.