Faculty Workshop on Developing and Using Individual Development Plans and Annual Review Documents

Thoughtful Individual Development Plans (IDPs) and annual review documents (ARDs) are powerful tools for graduate students and postdocs to focus their training goals with an eye towards future careers. IDPs and ARDs are increasingly common in many professional settings, so learning how to use them effectively is an important part of graduate student and postdoc development. In addition, completing an IDP or ARD is currently a requirement of the Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Development Program certificate within BioInspired.

Though IDPs and ARDs are centered on the individual trainee, every faculty mentor plays a critical role in guiding trainees through the self-evaluation and planning process, and many faculty choose to tailor existing tools to fit their own needs and make the process more effective. In this workshop for faculty, three Syracuse faculty members, Katie Becklin(Biology), James Henderson (BMCE), and Lisa Manning (Physics), will discuss the basics of IDPs/ARDs, advice for how to develop them, and highlight from the faculty perspective the nuances of working through a trainee’s self-assessment process. The workshop will include time in breakout rooms for faculty to refine the IDP/ARD templates used in their own groups and to share best practices.