If previous high profile propulsion iniatives are any indication, US$125m will build one or two labs with no money left for the actual research. Given that the cost of producing any kind of usable nuclear propulsion system will cost in the tens of billions & will only assist missions which in themselves cost billions (nuclear propulsion will be massive in relation to chemical system; & will therefore only be viable for large missions - a bit like SEP only much, much worse); it's reasonable to ask why we aren't spending this pork money flying missions with existing technology rather than wasting it on expensive vaporware.

Robert