What you need to know:

For Trainees (graduate students and postdocs):
  • Objective and expectation: The use of an Individual Development Plan (IDP) can help you evaluate your skills, assess career options and identify steps to reach your career goals throughout your training. The IDP working group encourages you to use an IDP; your department, program or faculty mentor may require it.
  • Confidentiality: The content of the IDP is confidential and for personal use; while you may be asked to provide proof of completion, you should not have to share the IDP itself. Discussions with your mentors are encouraged.
  • Tools: - Use the free, online, interactive myIDP from ScienceCareers/AAAS.

For PIs:

  • The working group recommends that you encourage the use of IDPs for your trainees and support them through the process.
  • Faculty with NIH funding should report on UC Berkeley's IDP policy and IDP use in your lab in your NIH grant reports. Until further updates are made, you can use the following text:
    “Berkeley graduate students and postdocs are encouraged to utilize IDPs every year to set academic and career goals and facilitate conversations with their mentor(s). Similarly, Berkeley faculty mentors are encouraged to promote the use of IDPs among their trainees. The recommended tool for life sciences is myIDP from ScienceCareers/AAAS. The Berkeley IDP working group provides information and can help create training sessions to facilitate the use of IDPs.”

If you want to know more visit the Main IDP page.