Part-time (or short-term) postdoctoral appointments at Brown are uncommon. In accordance with the Handbook for Academic Administration, postdoctoral appointees are appointed for terms of one to three years and may hold postdoctoral positions at Brown for a maximum of five years.
Appointments and reappointments to positions covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement must be for a minimum term of one year. This guidance does not apply to Dean’s Faculty Fellows or to Brown doctoral students who have completed their PhD and are immediately appointed solely for specific assignments (see Article 7, Section C).
In exceptional circumstances, a one-time appointment extension of less than one year may be approved if necessary. Any part-time postdoctoral appointment must be approved by the cognizant dean’s office.
Defining and Calculating FTE
FTE (full-time equivalent) is determined based on the total number of hours worked per year, as reflected in the postdoctoral appointees’s Workday profile.
To calculate FTE, multiply the number of hours worked per week by the number of weeks worked per year.
For example, for a four-month postdoctoral appointment working 37.5 hours per week, the calculation would be as follows:
37.5 hours per week × 17.36 weeks = 651 total scheduled hours per year
At Brown, a full-time schedule is based on 1,950 hours per year. Therefore:
651 ÷ 1,950 = 0.334 FTE (33.4% FTE).
Please confirm the exact FTE with the Benefits Office within University Human Resources (benefits_office@brown.edu).
IMPACT ON BENEFITS
Please note that part-time status may affect eligibility for certain benefits.
Vacation Time
Postdoctoral appointees whose appointments fall below 50% FTE are not eligible to accrue vacation time.
If a postdoctoral appointee moves from an appointment with more than 50% FTE to an appointment with less than 50% FTE, their vacation time accruals stop and their current vacation time balance is lost. If this individual has been employed as a Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) for one year or more at Brown, then they should receive a payout for any unused vacation days in their final paycheck as a full-time PDRA.
Alternatively, they could arrange with their PI/faculty mentor to use up their vacation time before the end of their full-time appointment. All vacation time must be logged in Workday.
Sick time
Part-time appointees are not eligible for the fourteen paid sick days described elsewhere for eligible PDRAs and Postdoctoral Fellows, which are distributed at the start of an appointment or reappointment. Instead, postdoctoral appointees whose appointments fall below 100% FTE are eligible for five days of sick time under the Rhode Island Sick and Safe Leave Act. This applies to those individuals who receive an extension of an appointment with part-time status and incoming appointees with part-time status.
Insurance Coverage
Generally, a part-time appointee whose current position has been extended will be able to keep the same individual contributions toward the premiums for medical, dental, and vision coverage provided through the University that they had in place during their full-time appointment. Appointees may review the rates provided by University Human Resources, under “Faculty and Staff,” to find their individual contribution. Please note that this arrangement can only be confirmed by the Benefits Office within University Human Resources by reviewing the actual job change in Workday.
In contrast, new part-time appointees coming into Brown should review the impact that their FTE may have on their medical, dental, and vision insurance premiums, if eligible, by reviewing the rates provided by University Human Resources, under “Faculty and Staff.” Their individual contributions may be substantially higher compared to those of an appointee with a 100% FTE.
BREAK IN SERVICE
A break in service will likely affect benefits eligibility, including a reset of vacation time. Please contact the Benefits Office within University Human Resources at benefits_office@brown.edu to learn more about how a break in service would affect eligibility for insurance. For questions about how a break in service would affect vacation and sick time, please contact the Leave and Accommodations team within University Human Resources at leave_admin@brown.edu.
Questions
Departments and postdoctoral appointees are encouraged to consult OUPA at postdoc-affairs@brown.edu, the Benefits Office within University Human Resources at benefits_office@brown.edu, and Employee and Labor Relations within University Human Resources at employeeandlaborrelations@brown.edu for guidance.
Last updated: May 29, 2026.