This paper presents the synthesis and results of the case studies, and the experiences in bringing together science and practice. The case studies focused on the role of participatory decision-support systems; thematic contributions; the techniques, tools and intervention methods for soil erosion and declining soil fertility as a means for local professionals and rural communities to identify 'best bet' and 'win-win' natural resources-related techniques and target them to poor households; and the approaches to and the issues of scaling up pilot research experiences to the wider community and links to policy. This draws on experiences in hillside research from Nepal, Bolivia, and Uganda.