and contribute to the development of relevant research questions. These interactions could help bridge the gap between research and practice. In addition, research shows that collaboration increases evidence uptake, particularly when facilitated by knowledge brokers who foster dialogue between these communities (Godfrey, Funke, & Mbizvo, 2010, citing Bialek et al., 2008). 6) Commission relevant research in collaboration with the Platform • Leveraging the Platform's understanding of practitioners' needs to guide the focus on the research. This could also be gathered from the above-mentioned interactive panels between practitioners and academics. • The Platform can contribute its excellent data collection capabilities and access to official information, which academic researchers may lack. For instance, information can be gathered through Ad-hoc queries. • Commissioned research could, for instance, analyse statelessness determination procedures, which was identified as a knowledge gap by interviewees. This research can support the development of a common approach among Member States to determine statelessness at the national level. Facilitating more interaction between academic research and policymakers/practitioners, as well as contributing directly to the production of more practice-relevant research, would arguably allow the Platform to strengthen its knowledge brokering position and, therefore, contribute to evidence engagement, notably in relation to research evidence. Part 6: Way Forward This report explored how the EMN and the Platform contribute to evidence engagement, revealing that both function as sort of knowledge brokers between the 'users' and 'producers' of evidence. Their role is twofold: first, as linking agents, they facilitate connections between stakeholders, either through structured channels or by rapidly linking those in need of evidence with experts on an ad hoc basis—an aspect highlighted as a key strength of the EMN. Second, they broker knowledge by identifying, synthesizing, and disseminating migration-related information in accessible formats for their target audiences. However, due to the EMN’s working methods and mandate, the scope of evidence included in these outputs remains somewhat constrained, limiting its impact at the science-policy-practitioner interface compared to other actors in the field. While this report introduces the concept of knowledge brokerage, further research is needed to refine the understanding of the EMN’s specific role in this process. Future studies could examine the types of 33

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