National Academies of Science are a central actor in any country’s knowledge sector. When they are well-resourced and well-managed, they play an important role in helping to translate evidence into policy-ready advice for government. They are sometimes neglected by social scientists but they should be seen as an important tool in thinking about the implementation of public policy because they bring together the best minds on a subject and turn that into policy advice. Social scientists would do well to make strong use of academies in their efforts to improve policy advice.
