A new bursary for budding online journalists is being offered by the BBC, giving one writer the chance to kick-start their career with a six-month placement on its news website bbc.co.uk.

The annual award has been set up in honour of Ivan Noble, the science and technology reporter who died of a brain tumour earlier this year.

The 37-year-old had written a regular 'tumour diary' on the BBC News website, following his battle through remissions and relapses, and provoked thousands of e-mails of support and tribute.

The bursary will be awarded to a journalist who has recently completed a journalism course or has less than two years' journalistic experience, and they will also have a passion for science and technology.

Over the six months the bursary winner will work on the science and technology sections of the website, will research and write news reports and features, and will learn a wide range of skills for reporting for the web.

Pete Clifton, editor of BBC News Interactive, said the bursary was an ongoing commitment to help reporters to learn the skills of web journalism.

He said: "When Ivan died, many readers asked what we would do as a lasting tribute to him.

"We think the bursary is a fitting thing to do - we want to encourage a new journalist with the same passion for science and technology that Ivan had."