The Individual Development Plan (IDP) is a way to explore and define training goals, professional development needs, and career objectives. It can guide you to reflect on where you are and where you would like to be, and defines specific actions for goal achievement. An IDP can act as a tool to improve mentoring relationships between the individual and faculty advisors or mentors. Faculty as mentees can benefit from using an IDP. A selection of templates, tips, and strategies for developing IDPs are available in the page below.
IDP Templates
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SMPH Faculty Individual Development Plan (link)
SMPH Faculty Individual Development Plan (FIDP)
This SMPH FIDP template is designed to meet the needs of UW-Madison faculty. Use this FIDP to gain benefit in the mentoring process and a clearer sense of expectations and milestones for success.
ICTR Individual Development Plan Examples (link)
ICTR Individual Development Plan Examples
Explore ICTR’s ‘IDP Examples’ and other useful information for UW-faculty, graduate students, post-docs, etc.
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine IDP (pdf)
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine IDP
This IDP template and built-in skills assessment is suitable for faculty, graduate students, or post-docs.
Stanford 'Your Individual Development Plan'—IDP (link)
Stanford ‘Your Individual Development Plan’—IDP
This IDP template is best suited for postdoctoral trainees. Use the initial evaluation and annual progress form in conjunction to reflect on goals, make plans, and to address challenges along the way. Follow the steps below to develop an IDP.
Step 1. Complete your Initial Evaluation
Step 2. Reassess Progress Annually
University of Cincinnati Faculty Career Development Plan (pdf)
University of Cincinnati Faculty Career Development Plan (CDP)
This IDP/CDP template is ideal for early-career faculty.
Career Development Planning
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Career Development Planning Cycle (pdf)
Career Development Planning Cycle
Review the 4 ongoing steps in the career development planning cycle.
Development Impact and You— Practical Tools To Trigger & Support Social Innovation (pdf)
Development Impact and You— Practical Tools To Trigger & Support Social Innovation
This is a toolkit on how to invent, adopt or adapt ideas that can deliver better results. It draws on a study of the most useful tools currently being used by practitioners. To get started, consider using the personal SWOT analysis template to analyze your strengths and weaknesses in different academic areas such as Clinical, Teaching, Research, and Service.
All the tool descriptions include a key reference, so it is easy to trace back their origins and dive deeper into other publications about their application.
New Direction in Goals Setting Theory (link)
New Direction in Goals Setting Theory
Current Directions in Psychological Science. 2006 Oct. 15(5): 265–268.
[Please note that access to the full version may require netID login. Please see the article abstract link below for other access options.]
Describes recent advances in goal-setting theory and, when known, how they effect outcomes. Future subjects of goal-setting research are identified.
Personal SWOT Analysis (link)
SWOT Analysis is a useful technique that can help you to manage your strengths and weaknesses. Use this resource to find out how to perform your personal SWOT analysis.
Professor of the 21st Century Teaching Self-Assessment Checklists (link)
Professor of the 21st Century Teaching Self-Assessment Checklists
Utilize these faculty Teaching Self-Assesment Tools when constructing your IDP. There are different self-assessments for each stage in your teaching career (0-2, 2-7, or 7+ years teaching).
See also: Professor of the 21st Century Summary Document (pdf).
Self-Evaluation of Faculty Performance in Teaching, Research and Original Creative Work, and Service (pdf)
Self-Evaluation of Faculty Performance in Teaching, Research and Original Creative Work, and Service
Use this faculty self-evaluation template to help assess your performance in teaching, research, and service.
SMART Goals Template (pdf)
S.M.A.R.T is a methodology useful for developing meaningful goals. The acronym S.M.A.R.T stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time Framed. This template provides examples of SMART goals for the clinical, research, teaching, and service academic areas.
Utlizing a Swot Analysis for Your Career Planning (link)
Utlizing a Swot Analysis for Your Career Planning
Learn how to apply a SWOT to your career planning.