Flowers worked on the Anglo-Canadian Atomic Energy Project
Tube Alloys at
Chalk River,
Ontario from 1944 to 1946, then joined the
Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE) at
Harwell, Oxfordshire until 1950 when he moved to the department of
mathematical physics at the
University of Birmingham. In 1952, he became the head of the Theoretical physics division at AERE, holding this post until 1958. At the
University of Manchester, he was Professor of theoretical physics from 1958 to 1961,
Langworthy Professor of physics from 1961 to 1972 as well as chairman of the
Science Research Council from 1967 to 1973. At the
University of London, he was
Rector of
Imperial College London from 1973 to 1985 and finally vice-chancellor of the university from 1985 to 1990. Between 1994 and 2001, he was
chancellor of the University of Manchester. Flowers was chair of the Computer Board for Universities and Research Council from 1966 to 1970, member of the
Atomic Energy Authority from 1971 to 1981, and president of the
Institute of Physics from 1972 to 1974. He was further chair of the
Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution from 1973 to 1976, president of the
European Science Foundation from 1974 to 1980, and president of the National Society for Clean Air from 1977 to 1979. Between 1978 and 1981, Flowers was chair of the
Commission on Energy and the Environment; between 1979 and 1980, he was also chair of the University of London Working Party on future of medical and dental teaching resources; and between 1983 and 1985, he was chair of the
Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals. He was also a member of the council of the
Academia Europaea from 1988 to 1991, governor of
Middlesex University from 1992 to 2001 and chair of the
Committee of Enquiry into the Academic Year in 1992 and 1993. For the
Royal Postgraduate Medical School, he was member of the council and vice-chairman from 1990 to 1997. Between 1991 and 1995, Flowers was member of the Management Board of the
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and between 1994 and 1995, its chairman. For the
Nuffield Foundation he was managing trustee from 1982 to 1998 and chairman from 1987 to 1998. During his chairmanship of the Nuffield Foundation, he played a significant role in the establishment by the Foundation of the
Nuffield Council on Bioethics in 1991. From 1998, he was vice-chairman of the
Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST). He was also a Founding Fellow of the
Learned Society of Wales. ==Honours and awards==