An Individual Development Plan (IDP) is a dynamic document that identifies career goals, sets a path and helps trainees manage their career development plans.
It is recommended that all students develop an annual individual development plan (IDP) if they have not already done so as part of an NIH training program or other program requiring an IDP.
Sample Individual Development Plan Form: UC San Diego Standard IDP Form
*For other IDP resources and forms, you can refer to the UC San Diego IDP Webpage at https://postdoc.ucsd.edu/training/idp.html#Information-for-Staff-and-Facul.
NIH-funded graduate students are required to have IDPs and update them annually.
This document and IDP process is for YOUR benefit. Please do not treat this as merely a requirement but as an opportunity for you to really think about your long-term career goals, what skill sets you have and may still need, and a way for you to begin building short-term goals to help get you there! We encourage you to capitalize on this resource for your own benefit to help maximize your graduate training. Remember, you DO NOT need to turn this document in to anyone – this is for you to keep and update with the help and guidance of your mentor(s).