At the start of a new academic year in Cambridge, President Nell L. Rudenstine continues to focus much of his attention on Washington, D.C.

In an interview last Friday, the president said he is keeping close tabs on the progress of key appropriations legislation which threatens to slash student aid and scientific research.

"We try to keep pace day-by-day or at least week-by-week, but since it the situation in Washington changes every day, there is only so much you can do," Rudenstine said.

The president said deep cuts to student aid and basic scientific research which appeared likely several months ago now may pose less of a threat.

"We're still holding fairly steady with some mild improvements in some areas of student aid," he said.

Rudenstine said he was particularly pleased with the increases in funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which translates into money for research. The University receives the majority of its federal funding from the NIH, Vice President of Government, Community and Public Affairs James H. Rowe III '73 said last week.

According to Rudenstine, the House of Representatives raised NIH funding 5.6 percent, while the Senate increased it by 3 percent. Rudenstine said he is hoping for a 4 or 5 percent increase after the bill is returned from conference.

Although this would still be "lower than inflation for those kind of programs," it would make the NIH one of the few such programs to receive any increase at all.

Speaking in his Mass. Hall office, Rudenstine said he plans to visit Washington in about a week to continue the lobbying effort. He will also meet with Senator Alphonse D'Amato (R-N.Y.) during the senator's visit to Harvard today.

But the president stressed that this was just the beginning of a fight that will stretch into the next millennium.

"On balance (there is) pretty good support bearing in mind one, its not over yet...two, its only year one out of seven," Rudenstine said.

Other News

Rudenstine declined to comment on a memo from Phillips Brooks House Association, Inc. (PBHA) which was sent to administrators last week.

The memo urged administrators to convene a group of community and College officials to discuss the search process.

A new assistant dean for public service is expected to be appointed this semester. Although he is paying close attention to the search for a new dean, Rudenstine said he is not getting involved.

"I'm not involved in the search process, and I don't really know exactly where they stand," Rudenstine said. "It's very much a dean looking for an assistant dean, and someone he has to be able to work with closely."