Adjunct faculty generally are primarily employees of other institutions or organizations who provide specific educational, research, or consulting services to the University and/or the affiliated hospitals. These activities are typically limited to specific, defined functions and/or services for the department. Determination of rank for adjunct faculty is subject to the same requirements as other categories of faculty titles; the rank within the track will be determined by the experience and qualifications of the individual. In no case, however, may those who hold concurrent faculty appointments elsewhere be appointed at Brown at ranks higher than those at their home institutions.

Adjunct faculty are appointed for up to three-year terms, which may be renewed depending on the department's needs. 

The Division of Biology and Medicine and the School of Public Health departments may appoint non-doctoral professionals; holders of these positions do not have voting privileges within Brown University. 

Appointments, Promotions, and Reappointments

Please submit the required materials, including the Responsibilities Memo, to your department's section of the BMFA Faculty Actions site.

Investigators must have a doctoral degree or equivalent.  Their research experience is equivalent to that of a senior postdoctoral researcher.  Individuals must demonstrate research potential.

Appointments are for a term of 1 year and may be renewed up to a maximum of three years. 

Appointments and Reappointments

Please submit the required materials to your department's section of the BMFA Faculty Actions site.

Research associates must have at least a Master’s degree or equivalent skills, education, or experience. Research associates are meant to be temporary appointments to carry out specific, short-term research activities that cannot be done by staff. Postdoctoral researchers may also be appointed as Research Associates if they begin their appointment at Brown before earning their Ph.D. 

Appointments are for one-year terms that may be renewed on a limited basis.

Appointments, Promotions, and Reappointments

Please submit the required materials to your department's section of the BMFA Faculty Actions site.

Please note that, as of the January 2026 update to the Handbook of Academic Administration, this appointment title has been discontinued, and no new appointments or promotions to this rank will be made. Reappointments can continue at this time.

An individual with at least five years of service as a Research Associate or the equivalent, and with a documented record of reporting on original research in their field of expertise, while participating in the research effort of their department. 

Reappointments are typically for up to five years, but shorter appointments are allowed at the department's discretion. 

Reappointments

Please submit the required materials to your department's section of the BMFA Faculty Actions site.

Individuals must have an active role in teaching undergraduates, graduate students, medical students, residents, and/or fellows. This teaching role must meet a significant, unique, and ongoing teaching need best provided by an individual with professional experience, which does not require a doctoral degree. A Master's degree or equivalent skills, education, and experience are required. 

Appointments are for one to five years, at the department's discretion.

Appointments, Promotions, and Reappointments

Please submit the required materials to your department's section of the BMFA Faculty Actions site.

An individual with at least five years of service as a Teaching Associate with a documented record of significant accomplishment in contributing to the teaching programs of their department. 

Appointments are typically for five years, but shorter appointments are allowed at the department's discretion.

Appointments, Promotions, and Reappointments

Please submit the required materials to your department's section of the BMFA Faculty Actions site.

Courtesy Faculty

Faculty who are only temporarily affiliated with Brown, but who receive no salary, benefits, or other compensation either from the instructional budget, or from grants and contracts. Faculty in these ranks are expected to be in residence for some part of the year and to contribute to the intellectual life of the University. They are not employees of the University.  

Courtesy Faculty may be designated as Visiting Scholars or Scientists, as recommended by the department requesting the appointment.  

Appointments can be for up to two years, at the department's discretion.

Visiting Faculty

Visiting faculty (visiting being a prefix) are those individuals who are appointed to meet the short-term research or teaching needs of an academic unit. The standards of scholarship for holding a visiting appointment in the Teaching Professor or professorial ranks are the same as required of Brown's own faculty, and the duties will be those of the position to which the visitor is assigned, except that there is no specific requirement of service obligations to the University.  Visitors should be compensated for any work done for the University. 

The designation “Visiting” shall precede the faculty rank the appointee holds at their home institution. A visitor who does not hold an academic title or have a home institution will be granted the title of Visiting Scholar.

Visitors are non-voting members of the faculty.  

Appointments can be for up to two years, at the department's discretion.

Appointments and Reappointments

Please submit the required materials to your department's section of the BMFA Faculty Actions site.