Our Mission
NeuroSites was created to democratize web design for the neuroscience community. We believe that beautiful, functional websites shouldn't require extensive coding knowledge or expensive design tools. Our mission is to provide high-quality, free website templates specifically designed for researchers, labs, and neuroscience organizations.
Making Science More Accessible
By lowering the barriers to creating professional websites, we help researchers focus on what they do best—advancing our understanding of the brain and nervous system.
Origins
This project emerged from Neurohackademy 2025, a summer school that brings together researchers, students, and developers to advance open science in neuroscience through collaborative coding and tool development.
During the hackathon, participants identified a common need in the community: accessible, professional website templates tailored for neuroscience research. The idea for NeuroSites was born from discussions about how many researchers struggle with web development, often resorting to basic templates that don't reflect the quality and innovation of their work.
What Makes Us Different
NeuroSites stands out in the crowded field of website templates by focusing specifically on the needs of the neuroscience community:
Neuroscience-Focused
Templates designed specifically for research contexts, with layouts optimized for presenting scientific work, publications, and lab information.
Community-Driven
Built by researchers, for researchers. Every template comes from real-world needs and experiences in the neuroscience community.
Open Source
Completely free and transparent. All code is available for inspection, modification, and improvement by the community.
High Quality
Professional designs that enhance credibility and help researchers present their work in the best possible light.
Easy to Use
No coding experience required for basic customization. Simple instructions get you up and running quickly.
Responsive
Works perfectly on all devices - desktop, tablet, and mobile. Your site looks great everywhere.
Contributors
NeuroSites is made possible by the dedication of our community contributors across multiple roles:
Project Founders
- Neurohackademy 2025 Participants - Initial concept and development
- Summer School Mentors - Guidance and technical leadership
Core Development Team
- Community Developers - Open source contributors from the neuroscience community
- Design Contributors - Researchers and designers sharing their expertise
- Technical Reviewers - Ensuring quality and compatibility
Template Contributors
- Research Labs - Sharing their website designs
- Individual Researchers - Contributing personal page templates
- Web Developers - Creating specialized templates for the community
Community Maintainers
- Issue Triagers - Helping with bug reports and feature requests
- Documentation Writers - Improving guides and instructions
- Code Reviewers - Ensuring code quality and security
Open Source Commitment
All templates are released under the CC BY 4.0 license, making them free to use, modify, and share. We encourage adaptation and improvement of all designs.
Why Open Source?
Open source development ensures transparency, promotes collaboration, and guarantees that these resources will always be freely available to the research community. It also allows for continuous improvement through community contributions.
Impact
Since our launch, NeuroSites has made a meaningful difference in the neuroscience community:
Research Websites
Provided templates for dozens of research websites across various neuroscience fields
Time Saved
Saved researchers countless hours of development time that can be devoted to research
Online Presence
Improved the professional online presence of neuroscience organizations worldwide
Community Building
Fostered collaboration between technical and research communities
Open Science
Contributed to the broader open science movement through accessible tools
Future Goals
We're continuously working to expand and improve NeuroSites:
Expand Template Collection
Grow our library across more neuroscience specialties and research contexts
Improve Accessibility
Enhance accessibility and inclusion in all designs to reach more researchers
Better Customization
Develop better tools and interfaces for easy template customization
Educational Resources
Create comprehensive educational resources for web development in research
Strategic Partnerships
Build partnerships with neuroscience organizations and institutions
Modern Technologies
Support emerging web technologies and maintain current standards
Get Involved
NeuroSites thrives because of community involvement. Here's how you can contribute:
Use Our Templates
The best way to support us is to use our templates for your research projects
Share Your Designs
Contribute your own templates to help other researchers
Report Issues
Help us improve by reporting bugs or suggesting features
Spread the Word
Tell other researchers about NeuroSites and help grow our community
Join Development
Contribute code, documentation, or design skills to enhance the platform
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to:
- The Neurohackademy community for fostering innovation and collaboration
- All our template contributors who generously share their work
- The open source community for providing the tools and platforms that make this project possible
- Research institutions that support open science initiatives
- Every researcher who chooses to make their work more accessible online
Together, we're making neuroscience more accessible, one website at a time.