In August 2012, Ferrier celebrated his 80th birthday and retired a second time. Later that year, the Ferrier Trust was set up in his honour, to bring a scientist to New Zealand each year, to engage with chemistry students and lecture. Peppi Prasit, a Ferrier PhD graduate and founder of Amira Pharmaceuticals and Inception Sciences in the US, was the trust's foundation donor. He was able to attend the inaugural Ferrier Lecture in March 2013.