Science and technology are playing an increasingly important role in the policy process. The value of science and technology is already well established in the fields of health, agriculture and natural resource management, but issues such as climate change, food security and biotechnology have recently attracted a high profile in international policy debates about sustainable development and poverty reduction. There is, however, very little research that systematically examines the science–policy interface in developing countries, and little practical advice on how to strengthen linkages between scientific knowledge and the policy process. A recent study carried out by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) Research and Policy in Development (RAPID) programme, INASP and a number of partners, contributes to filling this gap.