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Individual Development Plans (IDPs)

Creating an IDP with your advisor is a critical step in mapping a route to your research and career goals. The IDP provides a framework for assessing your strengths and identifying areas that need improvement, then creating a personal action list to achieve your short-term and long-term objectives.

Graduate Students
MyIDP, a free online tool from ScienceCareers.org, leads students through the IDP process from self-assessment to engaging mentors. It helps scientists identify their skills and interests, clarify their career options, and set smart goals to identify, attain and succeed in a well-matched career.

Scripps Research graduate students can also use a career planning and self-assessment tool that can help them stay on track, conduct exceptional research, and know what to expect throughout their PhD experience. Download Scripps Research's Grad Student IDP template.

AAMC Compact Between Biomedical Graduate Students and Their Research Advisors is intended to initiate discussions at the local and national levels about the grad student-advisor relationship.

Postdocs
MyIDP, a free online tool from ScienceCareers.org, leads postdocs through the IDP process from self-assessment to engaging mentors. It helps scientists identify their skills and interests, clarify their career options, and set smart goals to identify, attain and succeed in well-matched careers.

Scripps Research offers a short IDP template for postdocs that covers knowledge and skills, research productivity, professional goals and supervisor support. This IDP form can be used at the beginning of a postdoctoral appointment and during annual reviews.  

AAMC Compact Between Postdoctoral Appointees and Their Mentors is intended to initiate discussions at the local and national levels about the postdoctoral appointee-mentor relationship.

The National Postdoctoral Association (NPA) released a document and worksheet identifying the six Core Competencies for postdoctoral training.

Other IDP Resources
ChemIDP, developed by the American Chemical Society, helps graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in the chemical sciences plan and prepare for rewarding careers.

ImaginePhD is a career exploration and planning tool that can be especially useful for trainees interested in non-bench careers.

For an in-depth course that culminates with creating an IDP, postdocs and graduate students can take Scripps Research’s nationally recognized “Effective Career Planning for PhDs,” which helps equip trainees with the skills, resources, and self-assessment information necessary to make informed career choices both inside and beyond academia.