UH seeking contract to do Navy research

By Dan Nakaso
Advertiser Staff Writer

University of Hawai'i officials outlined their hopes yesterday to generate up to $50 million worth of Navy research over five years, which would boost UH's fortunes but raised questions over the university's values.

UH is negotiating to become the first University Applied Research Center designated by the Navy in 40 years — and the 12th ever to be selected by the Department of Defense.

If the contract is approved, UH would begin conducting research for the Navy in mid-2005 in four primary areas: ocean sciences and technology; astronomy and large optics; high-performance computing and information technology; and communications, laser technology and engineering.

UH would have no guarantee of receiving the entire $50 million because the Navy would only fund projects it wants, said Vassilis Syrmos, senior adviser to the vice chancellor of research and graduate education.

"I don't want to give someone false impressions that someone has given the university $50 million, because that is not the case," Syrmos said.

At a presentation of the proposal yesterday, some UH faculty questioned the ethics of entering into an agreement to conduct research for the Navy.

Some faculty, such as Lilikala Kame'eleihiwa, a UH Hawaiian Studies professor, worried that Navy research by UH faculty could further jeopardize the Islands from the ocean to the top of Mauna Kea, the center of UH's astronomy research.

"Mauna Kea is considered a sacred mountain to us," Kame'eleihiwa said. "... This is the place where our gods dwell."

Kame'eleihiwa spoke of the environmental damage the military has done, such as ruining ancient fisheries in Pearl Harbor.

"Where are the clean hands?" she asked. "The greatest killing machine in the world is the U.S. military. So are we going to say, 'Hey, let's make a partnership because we're going to get $50 million?' "

Roger Lukas, a professor of oceanography, countered that UH researchers like himself could undertake Navy research for peaceful purposes.

He would like to propose a Navy project to develop a fleet of 6- to 8-foot-long mini submarines that would study the waters around each island.

The debate at UH will continue at the same time that university officials are formulating a policy on conducting classified research.

Jim Gaines, interim vice president for research, said the current proposal would bar classified research on the main, Manoa campus.

Currently, he said, nine faculty throughout the UH system are doing classified work, but none at Manoa.

Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8085.