Federally sponsored research funding sources are not stagnant programs. Many things influence the nature of research, not all of them purely scientific. Historically significant events draw public attention to causes, and in the age of immediate information those events can have a powerful and lasting impact on research funding. September 11, 2001 is a day America will never forget, and because of this major event, sponsored research focused on protecting the nation from attack and building up national defense became a high priority. Similarly, while the nation has been mired in recession from late 2007 up to the present day, job creation through research funding became an important focus for the nation and has led to the passing of an enormous funding package to accomplish this task. Neither of these events has a foundation in academic research, but both have had a significant impact on research and how research administrators operate on a daily basis. (Contains 2 endnotes.)