I think the whole research should be reworked.
1. We should have research points instead of money - gdp/c are not making good research, it could just bring good scientist to your country from abroad (but not always, europan scientist are migrating to USA - that just because they could get more funding for their research).
2.There should be a cap on max spending on research based on population and education. Not everyone could be scientist. Example: lets say only 1% of eduacted peple could be turned on scientist. So now we muliply number of scientis with gdp/c and we have max spending. Of course there should be some bonus for high gdp/c countries.
This would prevent countries like Aghanistan getting to research superpower in 1 year (as I did in SR 2010), when for western counires it took decades.
3. Technologies like "Consumer Recycling" or "Industral Development"should need their implementing, bacause in real world researching this thechnolgies is the easiest part - enacting it, that`s a problem. (I`m aware it`s not possible in this game, perhaps maybe in next

)
4. Time of research should be longer, now key technologies could be developed in few months. Often it takes 2-3 times longer to build unit than to develop it, not to mention that unit could be obsolate before build.
Overall I feel technological progress is to fast in the game, It`s hard to have fun from your new units when you know they will be obsolate befre they reach frontlines. This also weakning current superpowers as USA, before everyone could develop good unit`s in short amount of times (again it took USA decades to have such good militiary technology).
This are just my thoughts on the game. I`m aware that most gamers won`t like it, but I think such chabges could make game more 'mature'.
As a compromise maybe devs could implement an option: 'slow research' like we have 'Fast build' in SR 2010 ? This shouldn`t be hard to implement and could give as some taste of more balances game.