A record 19 students will be able to pursue careers in the newspaper industry after the latest bursaries were awarded by the Journalism Diversity Fund.

The successful applicants will start courses accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists in September.

They fought off competition from 56 applicants to the fund, which was set up by the NCTJ in 2005 to bring more diversity to UK newsrooms.

Among those on the interview panel were Bob Satchwell, executive director of the Society of Editors, Joanne Butcher, chief executive of the NCTJ, Haroon Siddique, news reporter at the Guardian and Julian Kossoff, senior editor at telegraph.co.uk.

The 19 students chosen for bursaries will attend courses at Glasgow Caledonian University, Lambeth College, Liverpool Community College, News Associates London and Manchester, noSWeat Journalism Training, Sheffield College, University of Salford, University of Sheffield University of Sunderland and University of Ulster.

The next round of bursaries is now open to applicants, who must have applied for an NCTJ course in 2011 and can demonstrate how they would bring a diverse voice to a newsroom.

The deadline is 29 October and for further information visit www.journalismdiversityfund.com.