ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti wˈʌn, wˌaɪl kəntˈɪnjuːɪŋ ˌækədˈɛmɪk ɹᵻsˈɜːtʃ, hiː mˈuːvd fˈɜːðɚɹ ˌɪntʊ sˈaɪəns ɐdmˌɪnɪstɹˈeɪʃən ænd pˈɑːlɪsi, æz dᵻɹˈɛktɚ dʒˈɛnɚɹəl ʌvðɪ ˌæɡɹɪkˈʌltʃɚɹəl ænd fˈuːd ɹᵻsˈɜːtʃ kˈaʊnsəl nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti wˈʌn nˈaɪnti fˈoːɹ ænd ðˈɛn ðə fˈaʊndɪŋ tʃˈiːf ɛɡzˈɛkjuːtˌɪv ʌvðə bˌaɪoʊtɛknˈɑːlədʒi ænd bˌaɪəlˈɑːdʒɪkəl sˈaɪənsᵻz ɹᵻsˈɜːtʃ kˈaʊnsəl bˌiːbˌiːˈɛsˌɑːɹsˈiː nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti fˈoːɹ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti sˈɪks.
In 1991, while continuing academic research, he moved further into science administration and policy, as Director General of the Agricultural and Food Research Council (1991–94) and then the founding Chief Executive of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) (1994–1996).