Proponents of a University of Hawai'i center for Navy-funded research are expected in the next week to shed some light on what such a project could mean to the Manoa campus and the rest of the state.

That clarity will come from a draft contract and a business plan that will be submitted to the faculty senate concerning the controversial university-affiliated research center. Up to now, the UARC has been a proposal short on the specifics needed for rational decision-making. So while this business plan is welcome, it's overdue.

The senate rightly feels frustrated by the long wait for information, given that the venture has been in development for two years. According to an ad hoc committee report on the project, several key department heads were not clued into the plans at an early phase. That's distressing. Members must hold the administration to its promise to hear from the faculty before seeking final approval from the Board of Regents.

Fortunately, current UH leaders have shown an increased level of candor about the process. It's encouraging that the new interim chancellor, Denise Konan, has stated her openness to arguments from both sides — from opponents who chafe at the idea of military control of research in a public institution, and from supporters who believe the center could open new fields of inquiry to local research.

Who's right? The devil's in the details. How seamlessly staff and facilities can be shared between the UARC and the rest of the campus can't be evaluated without them. The late arrival of the business plan must not be allowed to shortchange a robust review.