Collaborative Research: Workshop Proposal - Developing STEM Master's IDPs as an Essential Tool in Workforce Development

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Rutgers University and the Council of Graduate Schools propose to conduct a survey and workshop to develop templates for Individual Development Plans (IDPs) that can be used by STEM Master’s programs. The project responds to recommendations of the National Academies report on Graduate Education for the 21st Century and growing interest among master’s programs to use IDPs to encourage the acquisition of transferrable skills and career exploration for STEM master’s degree students. This will be the first convening on this topic. The project team proposes to survey master’s programs, including professional science master’s programs, to determine the prevalence and elements of IDPs currently used. The project builds on a framework for Master’s degree programs produced by the Council of Graduate Schools that will be used to provide a roadmap for IDP content. Workshop participants will use the survey results to formulate a template that could be adopted by STEM master’s programs. The workshop will be held in conjunction with the 2020 meeting of the National Professional Science Master’s Association and will include topics on experiential learning, transferrable skills, and workforce development.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.