Writing Mentoring Plans and Individual Development Plans

 

NSF Mentoring Plans

NSF requires the inclusion of a detailed postdoctoral researcher mentoring plan as a one page supplementary document. All proposals that include funding to support postdoctoral researchers must include a mentoring plan. Proposals that do not will be returned without review.

Examples of mentoring activities include, but are not limited to:

• career counseling
• training in preparation of grant proposals, publications, and presentations
• guidance on ways to improve teaching and mentoring skills
• guidance on how to effectively collaborate with researchers from diverse backgrounds and disciplinary areas
• training in responsible professional practices

Resources and activities that provide professional development/mentoring opportunities include:

• Departmental or laboratory meetings and seminars;
• Regular individual meetings
• Annual Research Week participation
• Training in preparation of grant proposals, publications, and presentations

 

Individual Development Plans for Graduate Students & Postdoctoral Scholars

The individual development plan (IDP) is now viewed as a key tool for students from the undergraduate level to postdoctoral training in mapping out and navigating their careers. An IDP includes a mentoring plan based on assessed needs and goals of a trainee, a description of short- and long-term career objectives, and identification of development activities needed to achieve those objectives. An IDP is not a static document, but should be revisited and adjusted on a regular basis. Both NSF and NIH have embraced the IDP or similar tool as a key component for enhancing STEM graduate and postdoctoral programs. In 2009, NSF began to require a description of mentoring and professional development plans for postdocs from all principal investigators with proposals requesting funding for postdocs (i.e., the Postdoc Mentoring Plan).  In 2014, NIH announced that effective October 1, 2014, any NIH-funded graduate student and postdoctoral scholar should have an Individual Development Plan (NIH Notice NOT-OD-14-113).

 

Resources for Developing IDPs:

• myIDP: A Career Planning Tool for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Students (American Association for the Advancement of Science)
• Individual Development Plans  (National Institute of General Medical Sciences)
• Mentorship Matters for the Biomedical Workforce (Sally Rockey, Deputy Director for Extramural Research, NIH)
• Career Planning Resources (National Postdoctoral Association)