Semantic Scholar FastMCP
A FastMCP server implementation for the Semantic Scholar API, providing comprehensive access to academic paper data, author information, and citation networks.
What is Semantic Scholar FastMCP?
Semantic Scholar FastMCP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to fastmcp server implementation for the semantic scholar api, providing comprehensive access to academic paper data, author information, and citation networks.
A FastMCP server implementation for the Semantic Scholar API, providing comprehensive access to academic paper data, author information, and citation networks.
This server falls under the Search & Data Extraction category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- A FastMCP server implementation for the Semantic Scholar API
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx semantic-scholar-fastmcpConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Semantic Scholar FastMCP
The Semantic Scholar FastMCP server provides AI assistants with comprehensive programmatic access to the Semantic Scholar academic database, covering paper search and discovery, citation network exploration, author profiles, and paper recommendations. Built with FastMCP, it supports both authenticated access (with an API key for higher rate limits) and unauthenticated access for casual use. Researchers and developers who want to explore academic literature, trace citation chains, or discover related work directly from an AI chat interface will find this server useful.
Prerequisites
- Python 3.10 or higher installed
- uv or pip package manager for Python
- A Semantic Scholar API key (optional, but recommended for higher rate limits — available free at semanticscholar.org/product/api)
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop
Install the package
Install semantic-scholar-fastmcp from PyPI using pip or uv.
pip install semantic-scholar-fastmcp
# or with uv
uv pip install semantic-scholar-fastmcpObtain a Semantic Scholar API key (optional)
For higher rate limits and better performance, request a free API key at semanticscholar.org/product/api. Without a key the server uses unauthenticated access with lower limits.
Add the server to your MCP client configuration
Configure your MCP client to launch the server via uvx, passing the optional API key as an environment variable.
{
"mcpServers": {
"semantic-scholar": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["semantic-scholar-fastmcp"],
"env": {
"SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
}
}
}
}Alternatively install via Smithery
Use the Smithery CLI for automatic installation into Claude Desktop.
npx -y @smithery/cli install semantic-scholar-fastmcp-mcp-server --client claudeRestart your MCP client and explore academic papers
Restart Claude Desktop or your MCP client. The server exposes tools for paper search, author lookup, citation tracking, and batch retrieval.
Semantic Scholar FastMCP Examples
Client configuration
Claude Desktop configuration for the Semantic Scholar FastMCP server with an optional API key.
{
"mcpServers": {
"semantic-scholar": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["semantic-scholar-fastmcp"],
"env": {
"SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example research queries you can run once the server is connected.
- "Search for recent papers on retrieval augmented generation"
- "Find all papers that cite 'Attention is All You Need'"
- "Who is the author Yann LeCun and what are his most cited papers?"
- "Get details for the paper with ID 204e3073870fae3d05bcbc2f6a8e263d9b72e776"
- "Recommend papers similar to the transformer architecture paper"Troubleshooting Semantic Scholar FastMCP
Rate limit errors when searching frequently
The unauthenticated access tier has low rate limits. Register for a free API key at semanticscholar.org/product/api and add it as SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY in your MCP config env block.
Server fails to start with Python version errors
Ensure Python 3.10 or higher is installed and that uvx resolves to the correct Python. Run `python --version` to check. Install uv from docs.astral.sh/uv if not available.
No results returned for a paper search
Semantic Scholar's database focuses on scientific publications. Try more specific academic terms, author names, or paper titles. Very recent preprints may have a delay before indexing.
Frequently Asked Questions about Semantic Scholar FastMCP
What is Semantic Scholar FastMCP?
Semantic Scholar FastMCP is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that fastmcp server implementation for the semantic scholar api, providing comprehensive access to academic paper data, author information, and citation networks. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Semantic Scholar FastMCP?
Follow the installation instructions on the Semantic Scholar FastMCP GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Semantic Scholar FastMCP?
Semantic Scholar FastMCP works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Semantic Scholar FastMCP free to use?
Yes, Semantic Scholar FastMCP is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Set Up Semantic Scholar FastMCP in Your Editor
Choose your AI client for step-by-step setup instructions.
Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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