Dozens of protesters marched out of interim President David McClain's office clapping and chanting. Organizers called the protest a "tremendous victory."

Yesterday, McClain agreed to delay until October any decision about the proposed research center, to hold a public meeting on the issue and to release documents related to the planned center.

He refused, however, to rescind his request that the Board of Regents grant preliminary approval for the research center at the university's Manoa campus. McClain said university attorneys told him that point was moot, since the regents granted approval in November.

"Now that this impasse has been resolved, I do hope to have the chance ... to meet with individuals and small groups from the coalition to learn their individual concerns and address specific questions they may have," McClain said.

Students, faculty and others who were involved in the protest oppose the university's plans to enter a five-year $50 million contract with the Navy to establish the research center.

Protest organizers said they looked forward to the public meetings, and expressed confidence that once people become aware of what having a military research center on campus would entail, the university would ultimately reject it.

Hawai'i administrators have said the research center is a way of bringing money and attracting top professors and graduate students to the university.

Protesters have argued it would further militarize the state, which is already home to a number of military bases. They also say classified research stifles academic freedom and has no place at a public university.

About 15 percent of the research would be classified under the agreement, the university has said.

The Navy has not answered questions about the protest or research center.

"We will need to coordinate those responses through our leadership," said Patricia Dolan, a spokeswoman for Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, referring to the Department of Defense.

The four Navy-backed research centers in the United States are located at Pennsylvania State University, University of Texas at Austin, University of Washington and Johns Hopkins University. Hawai'i was recommended for the fifth center in July 2004.