Top University of Hawai'i leaders said more input is needed before a final decision will be made on a university-affiliated Navy research center, after a recommendation yesterday against the center by the Manoa campus chancellor.

Still to come are separate public hearings to be held by the Board of Regents, which has the final vote on the matter, and by UH interim President David McClain.

Both McClain and Board of Regents chairwoman Kitty Lagareta said they want to gather input from other campuses and surrounding communities before the board votes on the proposal. "We'd like the chance to hear it all," Lagareta said.

Manoa interim Chancellor Denise Konan yesterday came out squarely against the proposal, which has been pitched as a partnership that could potentially bring in millions in research grants over the next five years.

Opponents have raised concerns over the "militarization" of the university, the possibility of restrictions on publishing research and the chance of weapons development on campus.

Konan's announcement followed a 31-18 vote by the Manoa faculty senate last month, to oppose the UARC proposal.

"Advancing the proposed UARC is not in the best interest of the campus," Konan said at a news conference.

The Board of Regents will hold an informational meeting about the proposal when classes resume next month. The board will vote at a subsequent meeting, following a recommendation to be made by McClain.

McClain said he would hold a public hearing before making his own recommendation. So far, he said, "I'm agnostic on the issue," but added that Konan's recommendation will carry a lot of weight.

Konan said faculty members' concerns factored into her recommendation.

"For some faculty members, there was concern about resources and the need for up-front funds," said Robert Bley-Vroman, faculty senate chairman.

Konan said that the $3 million needed to start the UARC could be used for other university initiatives that would better serve students.

Another faculty concern included the extent to which defense-related considerations would become part of the UH agenda, Bley-Vroman said.

Both Konan and Bley-Vroman were careful to stress that their opposition to UARC did not mean that they were opposed to all defense-funded science research and faculty members will continue to engage in naval research.

Konan also noted that while the UARC could bring in up to $10 million a year for five years, the whole UH research enterprise brings in $360 million a year.

Konan said many faculty have expressed support of the UARC as a way to seek research funding but "few faculty have expressed an interest in actively participating in UARC-funded research. Those who have are renowned researchers engaged in other projects."

To these researchers, the UARC would be a bridge to more competitive sources of funding, and additional staff, equipment and facilities would be needed to support their work.

Roger Lukas, a professor of oceanography and leader of the UH Association of Research Investigators, said Konan's announcement came just hours before the close of voting on the proposal among the 400 researchers in the group.

While the majority had not cast a ballot, the vote as of yesterday afternoon was 69 in favor of UARC, three opposed and one abstention, Lukas said.

However, these researchers have not made their voices heard. "They're too busy doing their work," Lukas said.

He anticipates the same thing will happen when McClain and the regents have their public hearing. Although Lukas knows of 30 researchers who will directly benefit, he said "many researchers will be busy doing their research and the people against it will have all the time in the world to tell the regents why it shouldn't happen."

If the Board of Regents does establish a UARC, it will be the fifth such partnership in the United States and the first in more than 50 years.

Some of the opposition to the UARC lies more in the contract than in the concept. Similar centers at other universities have been successful, but they also differ from what has been proposed at UH.

"The proposed UARC is unique as it integrates projects into existing facilities and permits dual use of UARC-funded personnel and equipment," Konan said. "The Naval UARCs at other universities are located in self-contained laboratories, with independent facilities and staff."

Ikaika Hussey and Kyle Kajihiro, members of the Save UH-Stop UARC coalition, which has been vocally opposed to the UARC, called Konan's decision a victory.

"The chancellor is absolutely correct," Hussey said. "This UARC is very bad for the university, bad for the community and bad for Hawai'i."

Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.