Ian chairs the Intergovernmental Policy Reform Group which has the responsibility to advise Australian health ministers on regulatory reform of health and medical research, with a particular focus on clinical trials.

He served on the Council of the Australian Academy of Science for six years, four as the Policy Secretary, ending in 2025. In 2022, he chaired a review of Australia’s carbon credit scheme.

During 2025, he was a member of the four-person panel established by the Australian Government to conduct the Strategic Examination of Research and Development.

Before he retired in 2016, he was Australia’s Chief Scientist from 2011.

Prior to that he was Vice-Chancellor of The Australian National University (2001-11), Vice-Chancellor at Flinders University (1995-00), Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Monash University (1993-95). He was Chair of the Commonwealth’s Higher Education Council and Deputy Chair of the National Board of Employment, Education and Training (1990-95) and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at University of Wollongong (1985-90).

In June 2006 he was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia for "service to higher education including research and development policy in the pursuit of advancing the national interest socially, economically, culturally and environmentally and to the facilitation of a knowledge-based global economy".

In 2011 Ian was Australian of the Year for the Australian Capital Territory.