This paper is written as an input to the upcoming ERA Symposium in Vienna on 21 November 2024, which is the starting point for drafting the respective chapter on “science for policy” in the Austrian ERA National Action Plan 2025-27 It argues that, in order to make use of the framing of “science for policy” as an ecosystem, it is relevant to focus on existing interactions of scientific advice, and to understand those interactions as situated acts of communication. To make “science for policy” more effective, emphasis should be put on learning opportunities. To that end, the paper offers several ideas that could enhance the advice capacity of actors in the ecosystem.