Due to the significant increases in Brazilian knowledge production sustained mainly by graduate programs at public universities, new challenges have arisen in terms of the management of staff and funding resources. The aim of this study is to provide tools for coordinators of graduate programs as they face a scenario characterized by intense changes in the modes of knowledge production. The article presents the case of a graduate program in pediatrics and details its effort to adapt to a new, market-driven model of knowledge production, considering the context of public universities in Brazil, characterized by scarce funds for research and an excess of bureaucracy.