To guide evidence-based policies and programs to end the HIV epidemic statewide, the California HIV/AIDS Research Program funds two collaborative HIV Policy Research Centers. Our Centers at the University of California San Francisco and University of California Los Angeles involve multi-disciplinary teams of academic researchers and community partners working to conduct objective and rigorous HIV policy-relevant research that informs local and state-level policy in California. This session highlights the rapid-response research processes used by the Centers to identify research priorities, engage stakeholders, and disseminate findings in a timely manner. We will provide case examples of high-impact policy research that successfully bridged the gap between academic research and real-world policymaking, including recent projects on HIV decriminalization, PrEP access, and HIV and immigration. We will also showcase our efforts to understand and address the syndemics of HIV, HCV, and STIs in California through our collaboration with the Ending the Epidemics movement.