I should note for any general readers seeing this that the Dept. of Energy, while it's primary role is as steward of the nation's nuclear capabilities, plays a huge role in funding basic science in the US. For instance, it funds 90% of particle physics research (the study and application of subatomic particles), mostly by funding projects through national laboratories. That's about $800M per year - not a lot of money to the nation, but a huge amount of money to basic research. And that's just one program under the agency. I'm grateful to the American taxpayer for their generosity, and for the ability of a small fraction of each dollar to answer fundamental questions about the cosmos.