Demographics Matter: Non-white and White Life Science Graduate Students Perceive and Use Resources Differently

Area of Science:

• Life Sciences
• Graduate Education
• Higher Education

Background:

• Differential academic outcomes persist between majority and minoritized students in STEM fields.
• Resource utilization is a critical, yet understudied, factor influencing student success in STEM graduate programs.
• Understanding how graduate students use and perceive resources is key to addressing outcome disparities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate resource use patterns among life science graduate students.
• To examine the relationship between student demographic characteristics and resource utilization.
• To identify how the use and perceived usefulness of resources impact academic success.

Main Methods:

• A national survey of 534 life science graduate students was conducted.
• Data collected included types of resources used, frequency of use, and perceived usefulness.
• Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey post hoc tests were used to analyze demographic impacts.

Main Results:

• Academic stipends were the most frequently used and perceived useful resource.
• Student demographics including year in program, racial identity, gender identity, and college generation status influenced resource use and perception.
• Significant disparities in resource use and perception were observed between white and non-white students.

Conclusions:

• Resource use is significantly associated with demographic factors in STEM graduate education.
• Addressing disparities in resource access and perception is crucial for promoting equity in STEM.
• Recommendations for policy, practice, and future research are provided to improve resource equity.