Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
June 13, 2008 Research center critics vow to hold officials to promises to keep studies transparent
By Craig Gima
University of Hawaii and Navy officials are expected to sign a contract by today to create a controversial Navy research center, according to UH Vice President for Research Jim Gaines.
The action comes after several contentious public hearings on the University Affiliated Research Center and more than three years after opponents, including faculty, students and native Hawaiian groups, occupied UH President David McClain's office for a week to protest the UARC.
The Board of Regents approved the contract for what was renamed an Applied Research Laboratory by a 7-1 vote nine months ago at a meeting in Hilo, following hours of often emotional public testimony.
The agreement could bring in up to $10 million a year to UH researchers over five years. The contract will be re-evaluated after three years for a possible extension and the inclusion of classified research.
Gaines said he hopes to announce the first "task orders" for Navy-sponsored research by July 1.
All of the research through the Navy center, at least through the first three years, will be made public, Gaines said.
"We'll publicize all the task orders because there's so much suspicion on what we're going to be doing," Gaines said.
Opponents of the Navy research center say they will follow the process closely to make sure it remains out in the open.
"That will be helpful, if we can actually see the terms of the contracts," said Kyle
Kajihiro, a member of the Save UH/Stop UARC coalition. "That will be another test of the transparency."
Kajihiro said the openness would be an improvement over some of the current military research at the university, but he is still opposed to the Navy center.
"We still have a problem with the very nature of this arrangement, which makes the university into an agent of the Navy and its mission. We don't think that's the job of a public university," he said.
The agreement allows the Navy to contract directly with university researchers for expertise in astronomy, oceanography, advanced electro-optical systems and communications systems through what are known as task orders.
Other agencies, such as the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and private industry would also be able to use the task order system, university officials have said.
Supporters of the contract note that the university already conducts military-funded research. In 2006, UH accepted 142 contracts from the Department of Defense worth $65 million.
Opponents say the Navy center could lead to secret weapons research at the university and goes against the wishes of the majority of faculty and students.
The Navy has research centers at the University of Washington, Pennsylvania State University, John Hopkins University and the University of Texas at Austin. The Hawaii lab is the first new Navy research center at a university in 50 years.
Gaines said the university is looking to hire a director and staff for the Navy lab and is renting office space off campus for the administration of the facility. Research could still be done on campus. Gaines said he will be interim director until a director is found.
June 13, 2008 Research center critics vow to hold officials to promises to keep studies transparent
By Craig Gima
University of Hawaii and Navy officials are expected to sign a contract by today to create a controversial Navy research center, according to UH Vice President for Research Jim Gaines.
The action comes after several contentious public hearings on the University Affiliated Research Center and more than three years after opponents, including faculty, students and native Hawaiian groups, occupied UH President David McClain's office for a week to protest the UARC.
The Board of Regents approved the contract for what was renamed an Applied Research Laboratory by a 7-1 vote nine months ago at a meeting in Hilo, following hours of often emotional public testimony.
The agreement could bring in up to $10 million a year to UH researchers over five years. The contract will be re-evaluated after three years for a possible extension and the inclusion of classified research.
Gaines said he hopes to announce the first "task orders" for Navy-sponsored research by July 1.
All of the research through the Navy center, at least through the first three years, will be made public, Gaines said.
"We'll publicize all the task orders because there's so much suspicion on what we're going to be doing," Gaines said.
Opponents of the Navy research center say they will follow the process closely to make sure it remains out in the open.
"That will be helpful, if we can actually see the terms of the contracts," said Kyle
Kajihiro, a member of the Save UH/Stop UARC coalition. "That will be another test of the transparency."
Kajihiro said the openness would be an improvement over some of the current military research at the university, but he is still opposed to the Navy center.
"We still have a problem with the very nature of this arrangement, which makes the university into an agent of the Navy and its mission. We don't think that's the job of a public university," he said.
The agreement allows the Navy to contract directly with university researchers for expertise in astronomy, oceanography, advanced electro-optical systems and communications systems through what are known as task orders.
Other agencies, such as the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and private industry would also be able to use the task order system, university officials have said.
Supporters of the contract note that the university already conducts military-funded research. In 2006, UH accepted 142 contracts from the Department of Defense worth $65 million.
Opponents say the Navy center could lead to secret weapons research at the university and goes against the wishes of the majority of faculty and students.
The Navy has research centers at the University of Washington, Pennsylvania State University, John Hopkins University and the University of Texas at Austin. The Hawaii lab is the first new Navy research center at a university in 50 years.
Gaines said the university is looking to hire a director and staff for the Navy lab and is renting office space off campus for the administration of the facility. Research could still be done on campus. Gaines said he will be interim director until a director is found.