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any early game research suggestions ?????

It's going to depend on the start and your profile of choice.

Mind would want to focus more on economy. Fist would focus more on military. Both will want to build a strong economy first so wathever it takes to power up a level 4 industry and a few levels of mine.

Tech level 3 would desperately need some military research to survive, tech level 4 I would delay research and instead build up the economy. Afterwards I would go economy research first I think, to get the key assets needed for the planet (especially fuel on lifeless planets) but also heavy industry.

In terms of military, I would focus on anything about tanks and air force on tech 4, tech 3 I would lean on infantry instead for cheap survivability before getting good tanks. If it's hard terrain planet though tanks and air force will lose a lot of their usefulness (but air recon would be more useful) so I would emphasize more on infantry.

I mainly play hard difficulty Tech 3 city state starts, for reference.

For a Tech 3 start, I strongly prefer military research first and give it substantial budget, with the priority being to get padded envirosuit and automatic or gas powered weapons. With some luck, both techs will be done or close to it once you establish your model design council. Your improved infantry and machine gun designs will be vastly more effective, and once you upgrade, your units you will be much more able to push out from your starting position.

The exception is a start that is for some reason naturally secure, like starting on a small island, a defensible peninsula, or next to a map border.

Economic research is usually a 2nd or 3rd council choice for me depending on the level of danger. Certainly within the first 5-10 turns. You will need a power generation tech sooner or later, but for a Tech 3 start you won't need it for a while. Prospecting is an important function of the economic council too, but on a Tech 3 start you won't have the resources to build roads and mines unless it is right next to your city.

Early Military is generally a good choice. You

But it also depends on which Directorships you prioritize. You can depend on a strong Militia for the first 20 to 40 turns with a high Fist profile, meaning your Regime can focus on developing in any other area, such as Economic Research, meaning you create the Economic Council first. Next you could go Foreign Office and start working on the Xeno-Sentient minors, or Model Design and focus on blueprinting new model types before any new tech.

Enjoy.

First, you need to address whether your starting infantry can hold the front. If not, you'll need Padded Envirosuit. Next, check if there are sources of electrical power; if not, you'll require an Economic Council. From there, it heavily depends on your starting conditions and strategy. However, keep in mind that a strong army demands robust industry, so Economic Council is an investment in the future, with effects that won't be immediately noticeable.