Fellowship Success Stories: Interview with Josh Barbre, Fulbright Fellow

In this edition of our Student Success Stories, we spotlight Josh Barbre, a Ph.D. student in Musicology exploring the connection between music and Olympic sports. Our Office of Fellowships team (GCOF) asked about Josh’s insights from his fellowship application journey, the challenges he faced, and key advice for students navigating academic funding opportunities. Read on how planning and perseverance can lead to fellowship success.

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Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your research?
"My name is Josh Barbre, and I am a current Ph.D. student in Musicology. My research currently investigates the gendered use of music within Olympic Sports. As a hip-hop specialist, when breaking was added to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, I wanted to research the musical crossroads between hip-hop as a sport and Olympic sport. However, when the Olympic committee for the LA 2028 Games made the decision to remove Breaking from its program in October 2023—almost a year before Breaking's debut—the nature of my project changed. Now, I am investigating what constitutes acceptable use of music in Olympic sports and how hip-hop challenges those dimensions."

What fellowships did you apply for to support your research, and what was the outcome?
"To complete my dissertation, I applied for both the Le Chateaubriand fellowship and the Fulbright Fellowship to fund my study in France for the year leading up to the Olympics. I was awarded the Fulbright Fellowship. The process was stressful! I was initially ill-prepared in terms of composing all the necessary components and securing the required letters from both recommenders and the host institution. However, I made sure to allocate ample time to give each component the attention it required."

Do you have any advice for students preparing their fellowship applications?

• "I recommend starting early."

• "Take at least fifteen minutes each day to write something for your application."

• "Front-load as much as you can so you can give yourself time to edit as often as necessary."

   

Can you share a lesson learned from a previous application experience?
"A few years ago, I applied for a fellowship and was rejected due to a late letter of recommendation. That experience prompted me to front-load all subsequent applications. The best piece of advice I could offer to future applicants is to schedule a meeting with potential recommenders before starting the application. This way, you can spend the most time on the other components while ensuring your recommender is aware of your needs and doesn’t feel rushed."

And what would you say about applying for multiple fellowships?
"Apply to as many fellowships as you can. They can only help you. As a former advisor once told me, 'You are already at no,' meaning your position does not change even if you are rejected. These applications will only help you, so you might as well try what you can."

Josh's journey emphasizes how planning, persistence, and learning from previous experiences can make a difference in securing funding. Keep his advice in mind: start early, write consistently, and manage letters of recommendation proactively. To learn from the journeys of students who have successfully secured funding for their research and academic pursuits, keep checking our Student Success Stories, a series of our GradFunding Newsletter from the University of Arizona Graduate Center Office of Fellowships.

Are you interested in funding opportunities and working with a mentor to develop a strong application? Join us this summer for the Summer Fellowship Application Development Program, where you’ll receive feedback and support on your applications.

If you are a fellowship awardee and would like to be featured in our Student Success Stories, please contact us!