National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act

National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to coordinate all research, extension, and teaching activity in the food and agricultural sciences conducted or financed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other agencies of the executive branch of the United States Government. Establishes one additional Assistant Secretary of Agriculture to perform such duties as are necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act.

Establishes within the Department of Agriculture a permanent Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Advisory Board. States that the Board's responsibilities shall include: (1) evaluating the economic, environmental and social impacts of research, extension and teaching programs; (2) reviewing programs, policies and goals of food and agricultural research agencies; (3) providing a forum for research-sponsoring agencies to exchange information on programs relating to food and agriculture; (4) recommending national policies, priorities and strategies for food and agricultural research, extension and teaching; (5) reviewing and evaluating agreements and memoranda of understanding between the Department and participating universities; and (6) maintaining a current inventory of agricultural research activities broken down by specified categories.

Repeals the existing requirement that at least 20 percent of grant funds distributed to the States be used by State agricultural experiment stations for marketing research.

Authorizes the Secretary to make grants, in addition to any already made under Federal law, for periods not to exceed five years, on a competitive basis to State agricultural experiment stations, colleges, universities and other research institutions, giving priority to research in those fields of basic and applied research in food and agriculture science promising advances and breakthroughs in new areas of knowledge. Authorizes five-year grants, limited to one $100,000 grant per institution to land-grant colleges to carry out developmental (mission- oriented) agricultural research which results from sudden breakthroughs in such basic or applied research. Authorizes grants to universities, of at least $100,000, for research in human nutrition and issues relating to families, and supplemental grants to universities agreeing to pay 20 percent of the costs of the research programs approved.

Provides that the first $4,000,000 appropriated each fiscal year for research facilities in State agricultural experiment stations shall be apportioned equally among the State stations; and that any amount in excess of $4,000,000 shall be apportioned among them according to a specified formula. States that the Federal contribution to any State agricultural experiment station shall not exceed the amount of non-Federal funds contributed; and requires any such station, as a condition for receiving Federal funds to submit specific proposals for their use.

Directs the Secretary to conduct a comprehensive study of the effects of changing climate and weather on crop and livestock productivity in the United States.

Directs the Cooperative Extension Service to give increasing attention to education programs for human nutrition, energy conservation, forestry and natural resources management, and animal diseases. Requires the Service to transmit to the Congress, by September 30, 1978, an evaluation of the economic and social consequences of its major programs, for which evaluation no less than $1,500,000 and no more than $2,500,000 of the funds appropriated must be used.

Transfers the administration of additional appropriations for agricultural colleges from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to the Department of Agriculture.

Authorizes the Secretary to make competitive grants to universities for the purpose of carrying out undergraduate and graduate teaching in the food and agricultural sciences. Directs the Secretary to conduct a program of graduate assistantships in such sciences and stipulates criteria for the awarding of such assistantships.

Authorizes the Secretary to cooperate with and assist the States in carrying out programs of animal disease research at eligible institutions. Sets a formula for the allocation of appropriations for such research. Directs the deans of participating accredited veterinary colleges and the director of the State agricultural experiment station to develop a comprehensive animal disease research program for each State based on the research capacity of each eligible institution.

Authorizes the Secretary to conduct a program of grants, based on an 80 percent Federal - 20 percent State matching formula, to assist States which do not have an accredited college of veterinary medicine in the construction of such, the employment of faculty, the acquisition of equipment and other necessaries. Stipulates the assurances required of the States for the receipt of Federal funds. Specifies the formula by which funds appropriated shall be distributed to the States for these purposes.

Authorizes the Secretary to contract with the National Academy of Sciences, or with another appropriate nonprofit group or association, to conduct studies to assist the Secretary in his evaluation of the programs of research, extension, and teaching in the fields of food and agricultural science. Permits no more than $250,000 of appropriated funds to be spent annually for the actual expenses incurred for the support of such studies.

Specifies the appropriations authorized for existing food and agricultural science research and for the new programs authorized and established by this Act.