Semantic Scholar API MCP server

MCP server for Semantic Scholar to search for papers

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Overview

MCP Semantic Scholar Server is an API server designed to facilitate the search for academic papers using the Semantic Scholar API.

To use the server, install the required packages with pip install fastmcp aiohttp pydantic uvicorn, then run the server using the command fastmcp dev path/to/semantic-scholar-plugin.py.

Easy integration with the Semantic Scholar API. - Fast and efficient paper search capabilities. - Built with FastMCP for enhanced performance.

Researchers can quickly find relevant academic papers.
Developers can integrate paper search functionality into their applications.
Educators can use it to gather resources for teaching materials.

Add to your AI client

Use these steps to connect Semantic Scholar API MCP server in Cursor, Claude, VS Code, and other MCP-compatible apps. The same JSON appears in the Use with menu above for one-click copy.

Cursor

Add this to your .cursor/mcp.json file in your project root, then restart Cursor.

.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-semantic-scholar-server-benhaotang": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-mcp-semantic-scholar-server-benhaotang"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop

Add this server entry to the mcpServers object in your Claude Desktop config, then restart the app.

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-semantic-scholar-server-benhaotang": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-mcp-semantic-scholar-server-benhaotang"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Claude Code

Add this to your project's .mcp.json file. Claude Code will detect it automatically.

.mcp.json (project root)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-semantic-scholar-server-benhaotang": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-mcp-semantic-scholar-server-benhaotang"
      ]
    }
  }
}

VS Code (Copilot)

Add this to your .vscode/mcp.json file. Requires the GitHub Copilot extension with MCP support enabled.

.vscode/mcp.json

{
  "servers": {
    "mcp-semantic-scholar-server-benhaotang": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-mcp-semantic-scholar-server-benhaotang"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Windsurf

Add this to your Windsurf MCP config file, then restart Windsurf.

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-semantic-scholar-server-benhaotang": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-mcp-semantic-scholar-server-benhaotang"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Cline

Open Cline settings, navigate to MCP Servers, and add this server configuration.

Cline MCP Settings (via UI)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-semantic-scholar-server-benhaotang": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-mcp-semantic-scholar-server-benhaotang"
      ]
    }
  }
}

FAQ

What is required to run the server?

You need to install `fastmcp`, `aiohttp`, `pydantic`, and `uvicorn`.

How do I initialize the server?

Use the command `fastmcp dev path/to/semantic-scholar-plugin.py` to start the server.

Can I ignore certain log messages?

Yes, messages like `INFO Processing request of type __init__.py:431 ListToolsRequest` can be ignored as they do not affect functionality.

Research and data