Postdoctoral Mentoring Plan

All NSF proposals requesting funds for postdoctoral researchers must include a Postdoctoral Mentoring Plan to describe the mentoring activities for such individuals. This mentoring plan must describe the mentoring activities provided to any postdoctoral researchers regardless of at which organization/institution they reside. A mentoring plan is not required, however, for postdoctoral researchers who are listed as senior personnel on the NSF budget.

The proposed mentoring activities in the Postdoctoral Mentoring Plan will be evaluated as part of the merit review process under the NSF broader impacts merit review criterion. Examples of mentoring activities listed in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide include:

• Career counseling
• Training in preparation of grant proposals, publications and presentations
• Guidance on ways to improve teaching and mentoring skills
• Guidance on how to effectively collaborate with researchers from diverse backgrounds and disciplinary areas
• Training in responsible professional practices