Graduate School

Appointment Extensions for Doctoral Students

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Appointment Extensions for Doctoral Students

In recognition of the disruption that COVID-19 has caused to many doctoral students’ research, Brown University announced in April of 2020 that PhD students would be eligible to apply for extended stipend support to compensate for time lost due to COVID-19.

In order to establish the criteria for the awarding of a COVID-19 Appointment Extension and details of implementation, a Side Letter of Agreement to the Graduate Student Union Contract (pp. 47-49) calls for the establishment of a COVID-19 Appointment Extension Committee. This committee includes graduate students selected by the Graduate Student Council and GLO, faculty from multiple disciplines, and administrators. This committee met actively over the summer and early fall of 2020 to develop the criteria for extensions, application and review processes, and an appeal process. The following policies were developed through an iterative process of consensus building: 

  • Eligibility
    Students who were in their third, fourth or fifth year of study in spring semester 2020 may be eligible to apply for an extension of up to two semesters and a summer, all of which must be used consecutively. Each semester of a COVID-19 Appointment Extension will include an appointment as a Teaching Assistant (I or II), Teaching Fellow, Proctor or Research Assistant.

    Subsequent to the establishment of the COVID-19 Appointment Extension program, Brown University also made expanded funding available for to students who were in their second year in the spring semester of 2020. Thus, students who were in their second year of funded study in the spring semester of 2020 are also eligible to request an appointment extension (see the initial Extended Support for PhD Students Delayed by COVID announcement).
     
  • Application Review Process
    Eligible students will apply for COVID-19 Appointment Extensions through UFunds. Applications will be reviewed by the Graduate School and, in cases that are not already approved by the Graduate School, by the COVID-19 Appointment Extension Committee. 
  • Timing of Appointment Extensions
    Students requesting Appointment Extensions will apply during the final term of their standard funding: Students in the humanities and social sciences should (if needed) apply for the COVID-19 Appointment Extension to support year 7. Students in the life sciences and physical sciences who need Appointment Extensions should apply during the year in which they would normally have finished (in the absence of COVID-19).
  • Students needing COVID-19 Appointment Extensions for 2023-24
    Students whose funding would otherwise conclude at the end of fall 2023 and need COVID-19 Appointment Extensions for spring 2024 (or a portion of this period) must apply by November 13. The application will be available in UFunds under “COVID-19 Appointment Extensions” between October 16 at 9:00 am EDT and November 13 at 11:55 pm EDT.
  • Appeal Process
    If an applicant is deemed ineligible or an application is not approved by the COVID-19 Appointment Extension Committee, students may appeal the decision by submitting a written justification (typically no more than 300 words) to Graduate_Dean@brown.edu. This written appeal must be received within 10 working days of the student’s notification of ineligibility or denial. The Committee will review all appeals and make a final decision as soon as possible, normally within three weeks of receipt.

Brown University is committed to supporting our students through a challenging period. These opportunities for extended funding are intended to enable students to successfully complete their degree despite these challenges. If you have questions, please email Graduate_Dean@brown.edu.