Negotiations between the Navy and the University of Hawai'i over a university affiliated research center have been on hold for weeks now that the Navy has turned its attention to renegotiating contracts with two of the four universities that currently have Navy UARCs, UH officials said.

Nearly five months have passed since University of Hawai'i President David McClain recommended that the university move forward with plans to establish a U.S. Navy-affiliated research center, but a final contract between the Navy and UH has yet to be drafted.

"Since two of those large contracts are up for renewal, the contracting group that does all the UARC contracts is pretty much saturated right now," said James Gaines, vice president for research at UH.

Johns Hopkins University, Penn State, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Washington are designated as Navy UARCs.

The UARC proposal has caused nearly two years of heated debate among students, faculty and administrators. Opponents have argued that a UARC could involve UH scientists in dangerous weapons research and would further militarize Hawai'i. Proponents, many within UH's research community, have argued that a UARC would attract millions of dollars in research funding and would bring prestige to the university.

The Navy likely will continue negotiations with UH by the end of the month, Gaines said.

Patricia Dolan, a spokeswoman with Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C., said that while the Navy is involved with contract talks with other universities, those relationships "have not affected the UH negotiations," which she said are ongoing.

At a UH Board of Regents meeting in February, McClain recommended moving forward with a Navy UARC but only under several terms. Responding to concerns from opponents, he recommended that the UARC be under the control of the UH system rather than UH-Manoa, and he asked that no classified research be conducted at the UARC for at least the first three years.

The Navy seems "generally OK" with those new terms, Gaines said.

The Navy has not expressed disinterest in a UARC at UH, Dolan said.

"I think within a month there should be a contract," Gaines said.

The contract would need to be approved by the UH Board of Regents.

Ikaika Hussey, of the Save UH/Stop UARC Coalition, said much of the stalling in finalizing a contract is a direct result of the work of the opposition.

"Really what we've seen is that the grassroots movements against UARC have been effective in significantly slowing down the negotiations," he said.

University spokeswoman Carolyn Tanaka said what appears to be delays in the contract negotiations are part of the normal process and that opponents have not slowed down talks between UH and the Navy.

"It's just a situation where a lot of UARC contracts are being worked on right now," she said.

Reach Loren Moreno at lmoreno@honoluluadvertiser.com.