This month, we feature a blog by Donald Houessou and Fréjus Thoto on how to improve evidence-informed policymaking through navigating unclear authorities. The newsletter also features Jonathan Harle’s latest blog which talks about how to address an inequitable knowledge system in the COVID-19 era and beyond. In the AEN blog post, Daniela Rodriguez and colleagues explore the role of the researcher at the nexus of decision-making during COVID-19.