Individual Development Plans

IDP Expectations for SMD Trainees

The Individual Development Plan (IDP) concept is a commonly used tool to help people define and pursue their career goals. Per the Expectations of Graduate Students and the Postdoctoral Appointment Policy:

Trainees will create an Individual Development Plan (IDP). In creating and developing the IDP, the trainee will work with his/her research advisor and other mentor(s) where appropriate. The IDP maps out the general path the trainee wants to take and helps match skills and strengths to career choices. Since needs and goals will evolve over time, the IDP should be revised and modified on a regular basis, no less that annually.

myIDP from Science Careers

The CPD recommends that SMD trainees use Science Career's myIDP tool, a unique, web-based career-planning tool tailored to meet the needs of PhD students and postdocs in the sciences.

Articles from the myIDP series

View the entire myIDP Content Collection

Editorial: Planning Career Paths for PhDs
By Jim Austin and Bruce Alberts

You Need a Game Plan
By Jennifer. A. Hobin, Cynthia. N. Fuhrmann, Bill Lindstaedt, Philip S. Clifford

myIDP: So You Think You Have Skills
By Jennifer. A. Hobin, Cynthia. N. Fuhrmann, Bill Lindstaedt, and Philip S. Clifford

myIDP: Interests
By Bill Lindstaedt, Cynthia. N. Fuhrmann, Jennifer. A. Hobin, and Philip S. Clifford

myIDP: What Do You Care About?
By Bill Lindstaedt, Philip S. Clifford, Cynthia. N. Fuhrmann, and Jennifer. A. Hobin

Making Sense of Your Self-Assessment
By Bill Lindstaedt, Cynthia. N. Fuhrmann, Jennifer. A. Hobin, and Philip S. Clifford

Making Evidenced-Based Career Decisions
By Bill Lindstaedt, Cynthia. N. Fuhrmann, Jennifer. A. Hobin, and Philip S. Clifford

Opportunities Come Through People
By Philip S. Clifford, Bill Lindstaedt, Jennifer A. Hobin, Cynthia N. Fuhrmann

Getting the Inside Scoop on Science Careers
By Philip S. Clifford, Jennifer A. Hobin, Cynthia N. Fuhrmann, Bill Lindstaedt

Narrowing the Choices: What Career Path is Right for You?
By Cynthia N. Fuhrmann, Philip S. Clifford, Jennifer A. Hobin, Bill Lindstaedt

Goal-Setting Strategies for Scientific and Career Success
By Cynthia N. Fuhrmann, Jennifer A. Hobin, Philip S. Clifford, Bill Lindstaedt

Getting the Mentoring You Need
By Philip S. Clifford, Cynthia N. Fuhrmann, Bill Lindstaedt, and Jennifer A. Hobin

I Have a Plan...Now What?
By Jennifer A. Hobin, Steven K. Wendell, Darlene F. Zellers, Philip S. Clifford, Bill Lindstaedt, Cynthia N. Fuhrmann