It’s known for its literary merit, historic architecture, and a flourishing creative sector. But Norwich is also home to a thriving community of innovative, curious, and skilled scientists.
Earlham Institute is part of that scientific community - a data-driven research institute, where genomics, computational, and engineering biology meet to decode living systems and accelerate solutions for health, biodiversity, and food security.
We’re also home to a growing international community of PhD students, drawn here not just for world-class facilities and expert training, but for a city that makes it easy to build a life alongside a career in research. We spoke to three of our students to hear why they think Norwich is a great place to live and work.
Caoimhe Dwan, PhD Student
Tina Asgari, PhD Student
Fanny Combe, PhD Student
“I couldn't get over how beautiful it [Norwich] was,” exclaims Caoimhe Dwan, who joined the Earlham Institute in 2025 from Dublin in Ireland. “I had looked up images and videos of Norwich before I moved, so I thought I had a good idea of the place, but I was not prepared for just how much character it has. The atmosphere in town was something else that I was taken by, there is such a lovely buzz about the place.”
An hours’ train ride from Cambridge and you arrive in Norwich, “a creative, cosmopolitan city with a green conscience and a warm heart” says The Sunday Times. With historic lanes, independent cafes, bars, and shops, and plentiful green space, is it any wonder Norwich is consistently voted as one of the best places to live and happiest places to work in the UK?
This historic city is at once bustling and thriving as it is relaxed - blending city life with rural charm thanks to close access to beautiful stretches of beach and coastline, adorned with idyllic seaside towns such as Cromer, Sheringham, and Wells-next-the-Sea. While further inland, Norwich is also on the doorstep of the world-famous Norfolk Broads National Park - a vast network of waterways, broads and wetlands home to some incredible natural wildlife.
“One of the great things about Norwich/Norfolk is how much variety it offers. I love the beautiful nature spots and walks, like Marriott's Way, The Plantation Garden and Whitlingham Park. While further out in Norfolk, there's more beautiful places to visit. Erphingham has a lovely county wildlife site, as well as the stunning gardens at Alby Craft and Gardens. Aylsham is a beautiful town that can make for a nice day trip from Norwich, and Blickling Estate and Sheringham Park are both places you could spend the day wandering around,” Caoimhe adds.
Tina Asgari, who moved to Norwich in 2021 to study for her MSc at UEA before starting her PhD also loves the close links to nature and green spaces: “My favourite place is Whitlingham Country Park. It's a beautiful place to go for a walk or a run, with lovely trails around the lake. You can also try paddle sports like kayaking or paddleboarding, and there's a great café where you can stop for a coffee afterwards. It's the perfect place to relax and enjoy nature.”
And closer to home, the Norwich Research Park, - where Earlham Institute is based - is set among 230 hectares of parkland, and home to four leading research institutes, a growing number of business and start-ups, a teaching hospital and the globally-recognised University of East Anglia.
It’s this co-location of expertise and facilities that has created a thriving community of collaborative research, innovation, and teaching across genomics, microbiology, plant science and human health.
Fanny Combe, a PhD student in the Anthony Hall Group moved to Norwich in 2025 to start her PhD said: “The community is the best thing about the research park. The staff, students and the research culture are amazing. It’s a very supportive environment, and everyone is very helpful. Across the different Institutes there are many different seminars, talks, and training opportunities you can attend, as well as a lot of social events bringing people together.”
Working at Earlham Institute means you're part of the wider Norwich Bioscience Institutes - including the Quadram Institute and John Innes Centre - both of which have their own student bodies that regularly organise events across the Norwich Research Park, creating a collegiate, supportive network of peers.
“The best thing about the Norwich Research Park is the sense of community and the fantastic facilities. There are also lots of events throughout the year, especially during the summer, which create plenty of opportunities to meet people working across the NRP and in different institutes. It makes it much easier to make friends, connect with like-minded people, and feel part of a wider research community.” adds Tina.
Norwich Research Park is one of the largest single-site concentrations of research in food, genomics and health in Europe
A PhD is not just about what you study, but the life you build while doing that. And for prospective students deciding where to spend the next three or four years, cost of living matters. Living and working in Norfolk is considered more affordable than other research hubs in the UK and South-East, such as Cambridge or London, giving you much greater flexibility and options. That affordability doesn't come at the expense of connectivity though, with direct transport links to major cities and airports.
“Don't let the fact that Norwich is a small city put you off. It has character, with plenty of hidden spots, independent cafés, and unique places to discover. It's also well connected, you can get to Cambridge in about an hour and to London in under two hours by train, with the station conveniently located close to the city centre.” says Tina. “It's a safe, welcoming city with friendly people and a great research community.”
Applications for the Norwich Research Park Bioscience Doctoral Training Partnership (NRPDTP) open annually in October. Keep an eye out on our Studentship Vacancies page for upcoming PhD opportunities.
Work in Norwich has some great information and resources for anyone looking to relocate to Norwich, including areas to consider moving to, information on schools, professional networks, and local social groups.
