Overview
The Individual Development Plan (or IDP) is a tool we use to annually monitor student progress. IDPs are planning tools to help students create a plan of action and support professional development needs and career goals. IDPs are also meant to facilitate communication between trainees and trainers and foster deeper mentee-mentor relationships.
Download a digitally accessible PDF template here. Download a digitally accessible Word template here.
Submit your 2025-2026 IDPs here. You will need to log in via Kerberos!
About IDPs
As a component of a broader mentoring program, an IDP can help trainees and mentors:
- Identify short-term and long-term goals
- Monitor and document research progress and accomplishments
- Identify and set goals for the upcoming year, including how to allocate time to accomplish goals
- Define ways to develop specific skills and experience needed to complete research training and prepare for long-term career objectives
Overview of the IDP Process
- Complete the Skills Assessment. Assess your current skills and competencies. Ask your mentor to also provide an assessment.
- State your research and career goals and evaluate your progress in the past year.
- Set goals for the next year. Be as specific as possible including methods to achieve goals, methods to assess goals, and complete the time management table.
- Set up an appointment with your mentor. Discuss your IDP, request your mentor to provide feedback. Implement the steps outlined in the IDP and periodically review progress with your mentor. Revise as needed. An effective IDP is a living document that changes as your goals evolve and you move through the different stages of graduate school.
BMCDB's IDP template is based on the one used by the NIH. myIDP is a FREE online IDP service where you can complete exercises to help examine your skills, interests, and values to learn about potential career options. Once complete, the site provides a list of scientific career paths with a prediction of which ones best fit your skills and interests. This is not the same as the annual BMCDB IDP.
Annual Research Summary
- Students are required to provide the committee with a one-half to three-page summary of their doctoral research; due to the breadth of research represented in BMCDB, students are encouraged to consult their labmates for examples, but here is one.
- If possible, please combine the annual research summary with the IDP report form into a single PDF.
BMCDB Expectations for IDPs
- This annual progress assessment must be completed by all BMCDB students yearly, usually in spring as part of the campus-wide Student Progress Assessment (SPA).
- With advisor approval, students who are graduating by September of a given calendar year are not required to complete the IDP.
- If a student is enrolled in a training program that requires this IDP template, such as the eMCDB T32, they may submit that IDP in lieu of the BMCDB form above.
- If the T32 required that the IDP was due at a different time of year, that is acceptable. What we care most about is the student is completing the IDP on an annual basis.