Version Compatibility

Reference frameworks: AAAS MyIDP v2023+, Bloom's Taxonomy Revised (Anderson & Krathwohl 2001), Backward Design (Wiggins & McTighe 2005), UDL 3.0 (CAST 2024).

The frameworks are stable. Adapt templates to your institution's review format and discipline-specific milestones. The Bloom's levels and MyIDP categories are durable; institutional forms change.

Mentorship Goal-Setting

Goal-setting is the most leveraged activity in mentorship. Vague aspirations rarely translate to development; specific, measurable, and appropriately scaffolded goals do. This skill provides frameworks for creating Individual Development Plans (IDPs) that drive mentee growth, drawing on AAAS MyIDP, SMART criteria, and Bloom's Taxonomy to ensure goals are appropriately challenging and developmentally sequenced.

For initial mentor-mentee relationship setup, see mentorship-teaching/ors-mentorship-onboarding. For course-level learning outcomes, see mentorship-teaching/ors-teaching-syllabus.

When to Use This Skill

The AAAS MyIDP Framework

The AAAS MyIDP tool organizes mentee development around four broad skill categories that apply across scientific careers:

Activity: Mentee should complete MyIDP self-assessment first. Mentor reviews results with mentee, not in isolation, to ensure goals are co-constructed rather than imposed.

The SMART Framework for Goal-Setting

" Every mentee goal should be SMART. Vague goals ("get better at writing") cannot be evaluated or actioned.

Goal Hierarchy

Goals should be nested across time scales:

1-year vision: Career direction (e.g., "academic faculty position in computational biology")

6-month strategic goals: 2-3 high-level outcomes

• "Complete qualifying exam requirements"
• "Submit first manuscript"
• "Establish thesis committee"

3-month operational goals: 4-6 specific deliverables

• "Draft methods chapter"
• "Run analysis on Chapter 2 dataset"
• "Attend 2 conferences, present at one"

Weekly/monthly tasks: Daily actions

• "Read 2 papers on [topic] per week"
• "Schedule data discussion with collaborator"

Bloom's Taxonomy for Skill Progression

Use Bloom's revised taxonomy (Anderson & Krathwohl 2001) to set goals at the appropriate cognitive level. As mentees progress, goals should climb the hierarchy:

Pitfall: Many mentee goals default to "Apply" or "Understand" because those are easy to plan. Push for higher-level goals as mentees demonstrate competence at lower levels.

IDP Template

The following IDP structure aligns with AAAS MyIDP and NSF PAPPG mentoring plan requirements:

INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Mentee: [Name]
Mentor: [Name]
Date: [Date]
Review Date: [Next review, 6 months out]

== 1-YEAR VISION ==
[Career direction and 12-month aspirations]

== RESEARCH/TECHNICAL SKILLS ==
Current strengths: [from MyIDP]
Growth priorities: [2-3 priorities]
Goals:
1. [SMART goal, time-bound]
2. [SMART goal, time-bound]

== COMMUNICATION SKILLS ==
Current strengths: [from MyIDP]
Growth priorities: [2-3 priorities]
Goals:
1. [SMART goal, time-bound]
2. [SMART goal, time-bound]

== MANAGEMENT/LEADERSHIP SKILLS ==
Current strengths: [from MyIDP]
Growth priorities: [2-3 priorities]
Goals:
1. [SMART goal, time-bound]

== CAREER DEVELOPMENT ==
Target sector: [academia/industry/government/...]
Goals:
1. [SMART goal, time-bound]
2. [SMART goal, time-bound]

== RESOURCE NEEDS ==
Training: [courses, workshops]
Funding: [grants, travel]
Mentorship beyond primary: [committee, advisors]
Time: [percent FTE for various activities]

== SIGNATURES ==
Mentee: [signature, date]
Mentor: [signature, date]

Backward Design for Goal Setting

Apply Wiggins and McTighe's backward design to goal-setting by working backward from the desired end-state:

1. Identify desired results: What does the mentee need to be able to do at the end of this period?
2. Determine acceptable evidence: How will we know they've achieved it? (publications, talks, methods mastery)
3. Plan learning experiences: What activities will build toward these outcomes?

Example:

• End-state: "Independent researcher who can run a self-directed project from question to publication"
• Evidence: "First-author paper submitted with mentee as corresponding author-equivalent on project"
• Learning experiences: "Lead weekly journal club; co-mentor a rotation student; lead project meetings"

Common Goal-Setting Pitfalls

Goal Review Cadence

Goals should be reviewed regularly and revised as needed:

Connecting to Grant Requirements

For NSF and NIH mentees, align IDP with mentoring plan requirements:

NSF PAPPG Chapter V Mentoring Plan requires:

• Description of mentoring activities
• Expected time commitment
• Mentor qualifications
• Resources for mentee development

NIH BEST programs require:

• Broadening experiences outside the lab
• Exposure to diverse career paths
• Skill development beyond bench science

Activity: When writing mentoring plans for grants, draw on IDP categories to demonstrate structured support.

References

• AAAS MyIDP: https://myidp.sciencecareers.org/
• Anderson & Krathwohl (2001), A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing
• Wiggins & McTighe (2005), Understanding by Design
• NSF PAPPG 24-1: https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/pappg/
• NIH BEST: https://www.nih.gov/best-programs
• CAST UDL Guidelines: https://udlguidelines.cast.org/
• CIMER Entering Mentoring: https://cimer.wisc.edu/

Related Skills

• mentorship-teaching/ors-mentorship-onboarding - Setting up mentor-mentee relationship
• mentorship-teaching/ors-teaching-course-design - Course-level learning outcomes
• mentorship-teaching/ors-teaching-syllabus - Course syllabus construction