New NSF Requirement for Mentoring Plans and IDPs
Effective May 20, 2024
Effective May 20, 2024, all NSF grant applications require a mentoring plan for postdoctoral scholars and graduate students supported by the award. In addition, each postdoctoral scholar or graduate student who receives substantial NSF support must have an Individual Development Plan, updated annually, that maps educational goals, career exploration, and professional development.
What are NSF’s requirements for Mentoring Plans?
- Must be submitted with the grant proposal
- May not exceed one page in length
- Must describe mentoring to be provided to all postdoctoral scholars or graduate students supported by the proposed project. Examples include, but are not limited to, careers, proposal preparation, publications, presentations, teaching, mentoring, collaborating in diverse teams, and responsible professional practices.
- Separate plans are not required for postdoctoral scholars or graduate students; plan may specify how different components will be enacted for the two types of early career researchers.
- Mentoring activities provided to postdoctoral scholars or graduate students supported on the proposal will be evaluated under the Broader Impacts review criterion.
What are NSF’s requirements for Individual Development Plans (IDP)?
- Each postdoctoral scholar and graduate student receiving substantial support from an NSF award must have an Individual Development Plan
- There is no required format for IDP’s
- Must be updated annually
- Certification by PI required in annual and final annual reports
How does NSF define “substantial NSF support” for the IDP requirement?
- “Substantial support” is defined as at least one person month of support during the annual reporting period under the NSF award.
Resources:
- NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 24-1)
- Council of Graduate Schools’ workshop entitled NSF’s New Mentoring Requirements for Graduate Students
- NSF 101: The postdoctoral mentoring plan
- IDP template
