National Agricultural Research Policy Act

National Agricultural Research Policy Act - Declares the purposes of this Act to emphasize agricultural research as a distinct mission of the Department of Agriculture, to be certain such research is effectively coordinated, and to provide a mechanism for identifying the Nation's highest priority problems for agricultural research.

Establishes within the Department of Agriculture the National Agricultural Research Policy Committee. Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to appoint the Executive Secretary of such committee to coordinate agricultural research and keep abreast of the Nation's needs for such research.

States that the committee's responsibilities shall include: (1) reviewing programs, policies and goals of agricultural research agencies; (2) providing a forum for research sponsoring agencies to exchange information on agricultural plans and programs; and (3) making recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture regarding applications for funding of mission-oriented basic agricultural research. Defines "mission-oriented basic agricultural research" as research on fundamental science topics with regard to which there is a basic need in existence for new knowledge that would be generated by such research and which deals with more than an unproven concept.

Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to land grant colleges and universities eligible for assistance under the First Morrill Act and the State agricultural experiment stations eligible for assistance under the Hatch Act to carry out mission-oriented basic research.

Allows the Secretary to make grants on a competitive basis to Federal agencies, research institutions, organizations and individuals for agricultural research.

Authorizes appropriations of $50,000,000 for fiscal year 1977, $100,000,000 for fiscal year 1978 and $250,000,000 for fiscal year 1979.

Declares it to be the sense of Congress that Federal funding for existing agricultural research programs should be increased by $250,000,000 annually.