Individual Development Plan (IDP)
What is an IDP?
The postdoctoral training period is typically a relatively brief but intense period in an academic career. An Individual Development Plan (IDP) can help postdocs make the most of the experience in several ways. For instance:
- IDPs provide customized map of career goals based on a structured personal evaluation.
- IDPs help identify professional development needs and short-term performance improvement needs
- IDPs can help structure and guide conversations with supervisors and other career advising mentors.
IDPs supplement (but do not replace) postdoctoral mentoring plans. They are typically updated once a year.
Resources for Creating an IDP
There are several free and publicly available tools online for developing an IDP that lead users through exercises to set goals and develop a plan. Although most tools are framed in discipline-specific language, individuals can readily adapt them to fit their own discipline. Popular IDP tools include:
- (life sciences)
- (humanities and social sciences)
- (chemical sciences)
Additionally, the is a valuable resource to consult prior to developing an IDP.