Policy for biomedical IDPs
In accordance with NIH guidelines, all biomedical graduate students in the School of Graduate Studies are required to complete Individual Development Plans (IDPs). These resources are also available to postdoctoral fellows at Rutgers. The purpose of the biomedical IDP is two-fold: 1) IDPs provide a structure to systematically identify training needs and competencies, establish tangible research goals, and take stock of annual progress. Thus, IDPs help trainees stay on track with their research, paper and grant writing, and skill development. 2) IDPs help educate trainees as to various career options, define career goals, and create an annual plan to attain those career goals. In both of these areas, IDPs can serve as a tool to facilitate communication between trainees and their mentors. Moreover, educational research has shown that IDPs increase productivity.
The development, implementation, and revision of IDPs require a series of steps to be conducted by the trainee and then discussed with the mentor, including the formation of an IDP committee consisting of the trainee, the PI, and a representative of the graduate school. In the first year of training, the biomedical IDP document must be read in its entirety and the AAAS IDP completed. At the end of the second year of training, the biomedical IDP document must be completed followed by a meeting with the mentor and graduate program director. For postdoctoral fellows, this meeting will include a professional from the projected career of interest. At the end of the third year, the AAAS IDP must be revised. At the end of the fourth year of training, the biomedical IDP document must be completed again along with a meeting with mentor, graduate program director and for graduate students a professional from the projected career of interest. The trainee is welcome to have additional meetings as desired. Finally, every year, the trainee must submit a current CV. These documents and the completion of the requirements are monitored through a Rutgers Canvas site. The biomedical IDP document is based on the UCSF IDP as well as the Kellogg School of Science and Technology at the Scripps Research Institute IDP and the AAAS IDP.
To view the Rutgers IDP document, click here
To enter the Rutgers IDP Canvas Site for instructions on completing and uploading your documents, click here
To access the recommended template for a CV, click here
For a boiler plate document that can be used to describe the Individual Development Plans at Rutgers for graduate students, please click here.
This website was developed in collaboration between AAAS/Science and the Borroughs Wellcome Fund. An individual development plan (IDP) helps you explore career possibilities and set goals to follow the career path that fits you best. There is no charge to use the site and you can return as often as you like to access the resources.
Click here for myIDP website
From AAAS http://myidp.sciencecareers.org
Clinical research management: clinical research project/trials manager or coordinator
Scientific/medical testing: testing specialist in an environmental, public health, genetics, or
forensic science setting, clinical diagnostician
Science education for non-scientists: education or public outreach specialist such as at a science museum or scientific society
Support of science-related products: technical support specialist, product development scientist
or engineer
Drug/device approval and production: regulatory affairs professional, quality control specialist
Sales and marketing of science-related products: medical science liaison, technical sales
representative, marketing specialist.
Public health related careers: public health program analyst or evaluator, epidemiologist,
biostatistician, medical informaticist
Science policy: public affairs/government affairs staff at scientific societies, foundations,
government entities, or think tanks
Research staff in a research-intensive institution: staff scientist or research in academia or
government, lab manager, director of a multi-user research facility in an academic institution
Science writing: science, medical or technical writer or journalist, science editor, science publisher
Research in industry: discovery or preclinical researcher, manager of a research team of facility
Combined research and teaching careers: faculty at a liberal arts college or university whose job includes both research and major teaching responsibilities
Research administration: research administrator in private or public research institutions,
government or academia, including compliance officers, grants and contracts officers, dean or
director of research programs
Clinical practice: clinician such as genetics counselor, therapist, physician
Intellectual property: patent agent, patent attorney, technology transfer specialist
Science education for K-12 schools: classroom teacher, curriculum developer, science specialist
Teaching-intensive careers in academia: a primarily teaching faculty position in a research
university, liberal arts college, community college
Business of science: management consultant, business development professional in a biotech
company, venture capitalist, market researcher, investment analyst
Principal investigator in a research-intensive institution: independent researcher at a medical school, private research institution, government lab or university with minimal teaching responsibilities
Entrepreneurship: starting your own business