Your Individual Development Plan (IDP) and annual planning meeting with your advisor are intended to help you:
Building upon the success of Stanford's existing IDP pilot program, the Stanford Biosciences IDP program and forms were carefully re-designed with rounds of student and faculty input to
The Stanford Biosciences IDP program also complies with new NIH grant guidelines encouraging institutions to document that they provide a structured IDP program for all NIH-supported PhD candidates and postdocs. In light of the benefits to trainee development and the likelihood that the IDP program will be a factor in NIH funding decisions, the Committee on Graduate Admissions and Policy (CGAP) has adopted a new policy requiring all Biosciences PhD candidates and their mentors in the Schools of Medicine and H&S to create and discuss the IDP on an annual basis.
Students and their advisors share responsibility for completing the IDP, as well as the consequences of not completing the IDP by the deadlines below. Failure to comply with IDP requirements will
Action | First Year Students | All Other Students |
---|---|---|
Schedule a planning and mentoring meeting with your advisor |
Within 30 days of joining your thesis lab |
Before June 1 |
Download and complete the appropriate IDP form. (Ideally, share the completed form with your advisor in advance.) |
Before your meeting |
Before your meeting |
Hold your annual planning/ mentoring meeting with advisor |
Within 30 days of joining your thesis lab |
By August 1 |
Use GST to verify that you and your advisor met to discuss your IDP |
Within 30 days of joining your thesis lab |
By August 1 |
Courses and workshops designed to help you get the most out of your IDP and advisor meetings, see Resources for Students.
Do you have comments on the IDP Process? We welcome your feedback!
Questions? Please email somcareers@stanford.edu
A step-by-step walkthrough of the Individual Development Plan process. Learn More
Necessary forms for students in Year 1, Year 2 and Years 3-5. Learn More
Helpful resources for students in completing the IDP process. Learn More
Resources for faculty concerning your role in the IDP process. Learn More