Individual development plans (IDPs) have emerged as the dominant tool for career exploration and planning for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.  The National Institutes of Health have incorporated the IDP as an expected component of training for biomedical researchers, and the ACS Commission on Graduate Education has recommended that every chemistry graduate student should have his or her own IDP.  In brief, the IDP is meant to be a written description of short and long-term career goals and the actions planned to work toward those goals. Ideally, the IDP provides the student or postdoc with a focused format for considering career options and goals, and serves as a tool for productive mentoring conversations with the research advisor.  However, different individuals have different approaches and needs regarding career planning, necessitating flexibility in the IDP process. At Stony Brook University, we are working to create a flexible IDP toolbox that maximizes utility to students, postdocs, and faculty.

IDP toolbox: Getting the most out of the individual development plan

248th National Meeting (2014)

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