In this short reflection on how research and policy can connect fruitfully, I briefly outline three key concepts that have arisen in my work on inter-professional collaboration in the caring professions: relational expertise, common knowledge and relational agency. I have argued that these concepts describe the work that is done at sites of intersecting practices to enable quick and meaningful collaboration on complex problems. I also, however, point to the dangers of omitting the intentions of citizens from these exchanges. Describing the research-policy interface as a site of intersecting practices, I draw on a recent study undertaken at a UK University to show how these concepts can explain successful relational engagements at the research-policy interface that benefit both research and policy and highlight the moral purposes of this kind of engagement in relation to environmental and sustainability education.