MCP server for KAKEN (Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research) database
Four tools with complete input schemas and reasonable descriptions (avg 156 chars). All parameters are typed and described. Naming follows verb_noun convention (search_*, get_*). However, descriptions lack LLM-optimized guidance on WHEN to use each tool vs. alternatives, and output schemas are not documented. No error handling guidance visible. Parameter descriptions are functional but generic, missing format constraints, ranges, and dependency hints. No tool annotations (readOnlyHint, etc.) despite all being read-only operations.
Get detailed information about a specific research project. Retrieves comprehensive information about a research project including title, researchers, abstract, funding, and related publications.
Get all research projects associated with a specific researcher. Retrieves the list of research projects where the specified researcher has been involved, optionally filtered by their role.
Search for research projects in the KAKEN database. This tool searches the Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI) database for research projects matching the specified criteria.
Search for researchers in the KAKEN database. This tool searches for researchers who have received Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI) funding.
Output schemas not documented. LLMs cannot plan downstream calls or extract fields without knowing what each tool returns. search_projects returns 'projects' array but structure is undocumented.
Descriptions lack WHEN-to-use guidance. No hints on tool selection strategy (e.g., 'Use search_projects for broad queries; use get_project_detail when you have a project ID'). LLMs must guess which tool to call.
No tool annotations despite all tools being read-only. Missing readOnlyHint annotation would signal to agents that these calls are safe to retry and have no side effects.
| Scored | Grade | Overall | Spec posture | Rubric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-23 | C | 63 | 2026-07-28+ | v2 |
Parameter descriptions lack format constraints and ranges. E.g., 'limit' accepts 1 - 200 but description says 'default: 20, max: 200' without stating minimum. 'fiscal_year_from/to' lack valid range guidance (e.g., 1965 - 2024).
No error recovery guidance. KakenError exceptions (e.g., 'Project not found', 'Invalid project ID') are raised but tool descriptions do not hint at recovery steps (e.g., 'If project not found, try search_projects').