# OSTI MCP for AI Agents AI Agent Connect

> OSTI (DOE Scientific Research) MCP lets you search the Department of Energy's massive database of research papers, reports, and datasets. It gives your AI agent the ability to query OSTI.GOV and the DOE Data Explorer directly, pulling metadata and managing DOI registrations without you having to navigate complex government portals manually.

## Overview
- **Category:** knowledge-management
- **Price:** Free
- **Endpoint:** https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_pG4xCqNgxW4p54Mwmm4GWj482JeAOzG4qTA4ZDKL/ai-agent-connect
- **Tags:** doe-research, scientific-publications, metadata-management, doi-registration, technical-reports, open-data

## Description

Imagine you're deep in a research project and need to find every DOE-funded paper on quantum materials from the last three years. Usually, that means opening a dozen tabs, navigating clunky government websites, and manually filtering by sponsoring organization. This Connector changes that by giving your AI agent a direct line into the Office of Scientific and Technical Information. Instead of clicking through pages, you just tell your agent what you're looking for in plain English. It handles the heavy lifting of querying the OSTI.GOV records and the DOE Data Explorer for specific scientific datasets. You can pull full bibliographic data, check for full-text availability, and even manage the technical side of things like reserving DOIs for your own research outputs through the E-Link API. It's a massive shortcut for anyone who needs to stay on top of federal scientific output. By connecting this through the Vinkius catalog, you turn a tedious manual search into a conversation. You get specific results, filtered by date or organization, delivered straight to your workspace.

## Tools

### get_data_explorer_record
Fetches a single DOE Data Explorer record by ID. It's great for getting deep metadata on a specific dataset.

### get_osti_record
Retrieves a single OSTI.GOV record by its ID. Use this to get full bibliographic details for a specific publication.

### reserve_doi
Reserves a DOI via the E-Link API with minimal metadata. This helps you secure a unique identifier for your own research output.

### search_data_explorer_records
Searches for scientific datasets within the DOE Data Explorer. This is your primary way to find new data for analysis.

### search_osti_records
Searches the OSTI.GOV database for publications and reports. It's the fastest way to find literature by title, author, or date.

### submit_record
Submits or updates a record and registers a DOI via the E-Link API. It handles the final step of making your research officially visible.

## Prompt Examples

**Prompt:** 
```
Find research papers about quantum computing published in 2023.
```

**Response:** 
```
I've found several records for 'quantum computing' from 2023. Notable entries include:

| Title | OSTI ID |
| :--- | :--- |
| Quantum Error Correction in Scalable Architectures | 1982341 |
| Advances in Superconducting Qubits | 1982345 |

Would you like the full bibliographic details for any of these?
```

**Prompt:** 
```
Find scientific datasets related to solar irradiance in the DOE Data Explorer.
```

**Response:** 
```
I found 3 datasets in the DOE Data Explorer:

* **High-Resolution Solar Irradiance Data for the Southwestern US** (ID: 150432)
* **Daily Solar Flux Measurements** (ID: 150438)
* **Regional Irradiance Trends** (ID: 150440)

Let me know if you'd like the metadata for a specific one.
```

**Prompt:** 
```
Get the complete metadata for OSTI record ID 1015678.
```

**Response:** 
```
Here is the metadata for record 1015678:

* **Title:** Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) User Facility
* **Author:** Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
* **Sponsor:** Office of Science
* **Availability:** Full-text available
* **Type:** Technical Report
```

## Capabilities

### Search DOE publications
Query the OSTI.GOV database for research papers, reports, and conference papers.

### Discover scientific datasets
Find specific scientific datasets within the DOE Data Explorer.

### Fetch record metadata
Pull detailed bibliographic data for specific records using their unique IDs.

### Reserve research DOIs
Reserve Digital Object Identifiers via the E-Link API for your research outputs.

### Filter by sponsoring organization
Narrow down research results by specific government or research organizations.

### Submit research records
Submit or update records and register DOIs through the E-Link API.

## Use Cases

### Finding specific papers
A researcher asks for quantum computing papers from 2023 and the agent returns a list of titles and OSTI IDs.

### Dataset discovery
A data scientist needs solar irradiance data and the agent identifies the correct records in the DOE Data Explorer.

### DOI management
A grant admin needs to register a new report and uses the agent to submit the record and reserve the DOI.

### Literature review
A student wants to see all publications from a specific national lab and filters the OSTI records by organization.

## Benefits

- Skip the manual portal navigation by using search_osti_records to find publications instantly.
- Get deep technical insights faster by pulling dataset metadata with get_data_explorer_record.
- Simplify your publication workflow by reserving identifiers through reserve_doi.
- Narrow down results accurately using filters for sponsoring organizations and publication dates.
- Keep your research organized by using submit_record to register new entries in the federal system.
- Save hours of manual copy-pasting by letting your agent aggregate bibliographic data automatically.

## How It Works

The bottom line is you get instant access to millions of DOE research records without leaving your favorite AI client.

1. Subscribe to the OSTI MCP on Vinkius.
2. Provide your OSTI E-Link Token if you need to manage DOI registrations.
3. Ask your agent to find specific research papers or datasets using natural language.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Does the OSTI MCP work for all federal research?**
No, this Connector is specifically designed to access the Department of Energy's research output and the DOE Data Explorer.

**Can I use the OSTI MCP to find scientific datasets?**
Yes, you can search for and retrieve metadata for scientific datasets directly from the DOE Data Explorer.

**How do I manage DOIs with the OSTI MCP?**
You can reserve and submit DOIs for DOE-funded research via the E-Link API using the built-in tools.

**Can I filter research results by sponsoring organization?**
Yes, you can narrow down your search by specific sponsoring organizations or research organizations.

**What kind of records does the OSTI MCP find?**
It finds publications, reports, and conference papers from the Department of Energy's vast research output.

**Do I need a special key for DOI registration?**
If you want to manage DOIs, you will need to provide your OSTI E-Link Token in the Connector settings.

**How can I search for research papers by a specific author?**
You can use the `search_osti_records` tool and provide the author's name in the `author` parameter. The agent will return a list of matching records from the OSTI.GOV repository.

**What is the difference between searching OSTI records and Data Explorer records?**
Use `search_osti_records` for general research information like publications and reports. Use `search_data_explorer_records` specifically when you are looking for scientific datasets.

**Can I reserve a DOI for my research before it is public?**
Yes, if you have an E-Link token, you can use the `reserve_doi` action. You'll need to provide the title, product type, and your site ownership code.