Division of Biology and Medicine
Postdocs and Early Career Programs
Individual Development Plan
The Individual Development Plan (IDP) is a planning tool that empowers postdocs to map out their short-term and long-term career goals.
Individual Development Plan
The Individual Development Plan (IDP) is a planning tool that empowers postdocs to map out their short-term and long-term career goals.
What is an IDP?
An IDP is a tool that allows you to reflect on your training objectives and progress, and to set goals for the future. The IDP helps you develop a training plan tailored to your career goals, and consider the resources and mentoring necessary to achieve them. It also provides a framework for conversations with mentors to clarify expectations and obtain guidance.
IDP Requirements for Postdocs
The Division of Biology and Medicine at Brown University requires all postdocs to complete and submit an IDP to both their mentor and Postdocs and Early Career Programs at the time of their initial appointment and annually upon their anniversary.
Individual Development Plan Instructions
In order to achieve compliance with the IDP Policy, please follow these 3 steps:
- Download a copy of the IDP Template as a Word document in which you can record your responses, save the file, and then add and change things as your projects and career plans evolve.
- When you have entered all the information you wish to include in your IDP, share it with your mentor and spend some time discussing your achievements and goals together. Refine your plan based on your discussion.
- Complete your IDP and submit to your mentor and program coordinator.
ORCID
An ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) is a unique, persistent researcher identifier that is required by the NIH and many scientific journals. To find out more information about ORCID or to register for an ID, please go to the Brown University Library site. We require all Brown Postdocs to register for an ORCID and include it in their IDP.