The Graduate Program in Life Sciences is committed to supporting the development of graduate students to achieve their professional goals. The Individual Development Plan (IDP) is a mentoring and guidance document to assist students in progressing toward graduation and preparing for their post-graduate career.
Goals of the IDP:
- Provide constructive feedback to the student regarding their progress during the past year.
- Identify the student's short-term research project goals to facilitate productivity.
- Identify the student’s professional development needs, long-term goals, and foster career growth.
- Help ensure the mentor and student’s expectations and goals are aligned.
The IDP is not a contract between the student and the mentor and is considered a working document that will be amended each year. Students are encouraged to be ambitious, yet realistic, when considering goal setting and future performance.
If you have any questions regarding the IDP or the IDP process, please reach out to Dr. Jennifer Aumiller, Director, Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Training and Advancement, or Dr. Sharron Graves, Executive Director, Office of Student Enrichment and Strategic Initiatives.
Additional resources and discussion regarding IDPs are available at: http://myidp.sciencecareers.org.
Part A - Completed by Graduate Student
The sections below will help students prepare to complete each section of their IDP.
GPILS PhD students will use standardized IDPs provided by their programs.
1. Program Milestones
In this section, you will indicate when you plan to or when you completed milestones like your qualifying exam, thesis proposal, first-author publications, and any program-specific tasks.
Some of these tasks will occur at standard times throughout your program and with the rest of your cohort, but others will be up to you and your mentor to determine.
2. Research Project
In this section, you will discuss your research goals, challenges, how you've responded to those challenges, and your proposed dissertation title and supporting materials.
Depending on where you are in the program, you may have more detailed responses to these questions.
3. Selection of Thesis Committee
This section will only be completed by students in their third year and above who have finalized their thesis committee.
If you are in your second year, you should review the committee member requirements in your program’s handbook and begin discussing potential members with your mentor.
After listing your thesis committee members, you will also indicate the following items:
- Completed date or planned date of each of your committee meetings
- Publications - including those that are submitted or in preparation
- Awards - including fellowships, T32 appointments, or patents
- Conferences - including how you participated
- Professional societies you belong to or plan to become a member of
We encourage you to keep track of these items throughout the year so they are easy to include on your IDP.
4. Plans for Upcoming Year
This section is similar to Section 3. You will look back on the things you have already accomplished and indicate how you plan to improve or enhance those skills.
Before reaching this section, you should have looked into:
- Potential fellowships and grants to apply for
- Ways to improve scientific writing and oral presentation skills
- Your primary career goal and alternatives
You will also consider career development activities and other ways to make yourself more competitive when seeking your next position, including:
- Indicating which workshops and seminars offered by GPILS or other groups on campus you have or plan to attend
- Any leadership or extracurricular activities you have participated in
- Any new skills or education you will need to develop for your desired career and how you can attain those skills
- Any issues or concerns that may impact your career plans
- If you require additional assistance related to career development
It may be helpful to keep track of these items throughout the year so you can easily include them in your IDP.
Part B - Graduate Student Evaluation Completed by Faculty Mentor
Once you have reviewed the student's responses to Part A of the IDP, you will complete Part B of the IDP.
Please prioritize the student's research project progress and be specific when discussing their strengths and areas for growth.
The other questions in Part B are optional, but should be answered as much as possible. This will give the Graduate Program Director accurate information about the student and allow them to know of anything they should be aware of.
If you have any questions regarding the IDP or the IDP process, please reach out to Dr. Jennifer Aumiller, Director, Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Training and Advancement, or Dr. Sharron Graves, Executive Director, Office of Student Enrichment and Strategic Initiatives.
IDP Meeting
Once both sections of the IDP have been completed, the student and mentor should meet to discuss and sign the IDP. The IDP should be signed by the student and mentor and submitted to the Graduate Program Director for their signature.
The IDP will remain in the student's file.
Please note that the student and/or mentor may be contacted by the Graduate Program Director to schedule a one-on-one meeting if there are any concerns related to the IDP.