IDP Mission:
The purpose of the IDP is to further the key goals of the Training Core, which are:
- Enable trainees to understand and integrate the problems and concepts of health impacts assessment of contaminated systems, contaminant detection, fate and transport, exposure routes, remediation, and information management;
- Develop trainee competence in the applied research methods underlying core activities;
- Advance trainee technical, professional and personal skills/knowledge/attitudes to motivate and prepare them for successful careers in these fields;
- Provide opportunities for our trainees to participate in and contribute to Community Engagement Core (CEC) and Research Translation Core (RTC) activities;
- Promote environmental health fields to underrepresented populations through recruitment activities; and
- Serve as a resource for the RTC for training opportunities to the greater SRP community.
Resources and Form:
IDP Form (link): The IDP form is designed to assist trainees in documenting your professional development plans during the year. Trainees are encouraged to reflect on their IDP as the year progresses, returning to their IDP form to make changes and updates.
NEW for 2019: We have added a required activity, a Desafío or challenge project, to allow for and encourage trainee collaboration.
IDP Activity Example Menus: There are two menus of example activities – one for Individual Development Activities (link) and another for Desafío/Challenge Project Activities (link). Trainees are asked to select one activity from each menu to include on their IDP form. The chosen activities should be something that they can add to their Resume or CV as an accomplishment or acquired skill or experience.
The Individual Development Activities menu includes examples of individual activities designed to help trainees to prepare for and meet their personal academic and career development goals.
The Desafío/Challenge Project Activities menu includes five specific Desafío/Challenge Project activities intended to enhance collaboration and team-building skills while allowing trainees to connect as part of a community.
Instructions:
Please select and describe one activity from each of the described activity types on the IDP form. IDP activities should provide you with a challenge that is above and beyond your degree level/seniority requirements and allows you to grow professionally.
When selecting your IDP Activities, you may want to consider the following as they pertain to your career goals:
- Integration – activity will help me work across multiple projects/cores, and/or gain a better understanding of another discipline
- Research methods – activity will develop my competence in research methods (e.g., procedures, analysis methods)
- Community Engagement Core involvement – activity will allow me interact with a community impacted by environmental health issues (can be the Puerto Rico community or other community close to your institution)
- Research Translation Core involvement – activity will promote transferring my engineering/science knowledge to government policy, lead to a patent, or help disseminate
Review your goals and IDP activities with your advisor. They will need to sign your completed form.
Due Date and Submission: Submit your IDP form by Monday, September 30, 2019 through your CourseSites account.
PROTECT Trainee Development Awards:
Learn more about the IDP Awards at the webpage here (link). Trainees who would like to be considered for the PROTECT Trainee Development Awards will be asked to submit a final report on their IDP activities in the Spring of 2020. The winners of the award will receive financial support to attend a conference or visit an affiliated lab as part of their trainee experience.