CVE & NVD Management isn't responsibility of NSA but just MITRE & NIST. NSA's roles are mostly around stuffs like Signals Intelligence & offensive cybersec capabilities maybe. It does collaborate with other domestic agencies for protecting critical infrastructures i think. Not sure.
that's awesome man. oh and feel free to be encouraged but don't ever get discouraged based on other people's behavior or actions. experts like you are definitely needed in today's world. people will eventually appreciate your research.
i feel your pain. i myself spent quite some time writing this blog and still ended up causing confusion. These terms are quite interchangeably used at various places by various people. But yeah keep an eye on this thread and you might just find some right & easy definitions. good luck!