Researching

Related:
* Upgrade system - most "research" in games are actually just a basic upgrade system

Although the concept of "researching" is common in many games, usually you have simple technology tree through which you progress with no need to have anything external handy, effectively promoting turtle strategy where you wait out until you have everything researched and built before doing anything. Simple funding is not a concern here, only the acquisition of new artefacts or new situations to be the subject of study.