Background: A knowledge-exchange process, conducted in safe-harbor venues by a non-aligned honest broker, has the potential to transform health policy decision-making at the highest levels of state government and the private sector. The Evidence-Based Health Policy Project (EBHPP) is a unique, cross-sector collaboration between the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, the La Follette School of Public Affairs and the Wisconsin Legislative Council, a non-partisan service agency of the state legislature. The project connects lawmakers, researchers, and public and private sector leaders to consider timely and relevant research, advance the use of evidence in the decision-making process, and increase university faculty involvement in topical issues of state health policy. Objectives: 1) Provide policymakers, in both the public and private sectors, with timely, nonpartisan, high-quality information for evidence-based decision-making; and 2) Increase the involvement of UW faculty research and teaching activities in topical issues of state public policy. Methods: The knowledge-broker process involves mining data from throughout the peer-reviewed and grey literature and emerging work-in-progress, while helping users differentiate strength of evidence ranging from systematic reviews to case study. Several venues and formats support EBHPP goals: 1) legislative briefings; 2) invitation-only forums for off-the-record dialogue; and 3) ‘‘methods exchange’’ meetings to facilitate relationship-building among legislators and researchers on topics of mutual interest. Results: Stakeholder participants include legislators and legislative staff, executive agency officials; scholars/academics; industry executives; providers/purchaser/ payers; and advocates. Since January 2007, the program has produced 19 programs with over 900 participants. Over 90 percent of participants surveyed, self-reporting pre- and post-knowledge, show increase in knowledge following EBHPP programming. The project has demonstrated impact on several specific legislative proposals and in regulatory considerations. The EBHPP has become a trusted and established resource for public-policy makers, researchers, and private sector partners. Conclusions: Partnerships such as the EBHPP can bridge research with practice, advance the use of evidence in the health policy arena, and speed the translation of university-generated research to decision-leaders in the public and private sectors.