The USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) and Intermountain Region (R4) are modeling an approach to how National Forest System management and science can work together in meaningful ways with tangible results. The R4–RMRS Science Partner Program actively cultivates relationships between research scientists and land managers to co-produce new knowledge and land management approaches. When scientists and managers develop solutions together, we strengthen the agency’s ability to address the complex challenges facing our forests, grasslands, and the communities that depend on them. Through this “road map” we share what we are learning and chart a course for others who want to build on our experience in their own science-management partnership model.