Evidence-based policies, programs, and services that address inequities in health rely on robust research. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (Health Department) collects and shares population-level data that can be used for such policy-relevant research. Collaboration between academic and applied public health researchers can maximize the utility of Health Department data to improve health equity. However, academic and Health Department resources, including knowledge, people, data, and expertise, are not efficiently combined for policy impact. The Health Department and the New York Academy of Medicine, with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, partnered on a two-year demonstration project to advance population health research and promote health equity in NYC. Health Data for New York City (HD4NYC) is built around a working group model, which has been demonstrated to promote the professional development of early career researchers and maximize efficiency in multi-institutional research. HD4NYC’s multi-institutional platform facilitates access to Health Department data for researchers from NYC-area academic institutions while promoting collaboration between academic and Health Department researchers. HD4NYC supports mentorship and collective learning by bringing together early-career academic researchers, Health Department analysts, and senior mentors. The two working groups focus on health equity issues related to birth and childhood, including maternal and infant mortality and child health, and marginalized populations, including justice-impacted populations and sexual minorities. Monthly meetings, quarterly seminars, and stakeholder workshops provide a forum for investigators to present progress, share challenges, and build research and policy skills. Participants connect with policy, data science, and content experts throughout the research process to strengthen the skills needed to communicate relevant findings to decision-makers and produce impactful products, like manuscripts, policy briefs, and fact sheets, for use by policymakers and advocates. Evaluation of HD4NYC is guided by a theory of change and logic model collaboratively developed by HD4NYC stakeholders, and aims to measure the appropriateness, effectiveness, efficiency, short-term impact, and sustainability of the model. Measures of success will include knowledge of Health Department data sources and access procedures, speed of data access, productivity of the working groups, and the extent to which product co-authors span institutions and disciplines.