The scientific community is increasingly being called upon to provide evidence and advice to government policy-makers across a range of issues, from short-term public health emergencies to longer-term challenges, such as population ageing or climate change. Such advice can be a valuable, or even essential, input to sound policy-making but its impact depends on how it is formulated and communicated as well as how it is perceived by its target policy audience and by other interested parties. This E team will focus on discussions surrounding scientific advice to policy makers. The E team will also discuss the role of science societies and organisations in creating a foundation for a robust science advisory mechanism.