I'm thinking 1 mark per SUBJECT researched and 1 mark per discovery

This is meant to be a hint delivery system in the guise of a research mini-game. Since the players choose which topics to study, they choose which hints are given. But, the GM decides the pace at which the answers are given.

The players assign a topic of interest to the science officer. Brain Water, for example. For each topic, he will record specific questions they have on that topic. For example 'What is in it?' and 'How can we safely stop taking it?'. When a few days onboard the ship have passed in-game, the game can be played to answer the question, "So, how's the lab work going, Beronix?".

Beronix then chooses two topics (player input is expected) to say he's been working on.

He then builds a dice pool, starting with one die for each question within that topic. (So, if one topic has three questions and another has one, that's four dice.)

Then, he adds one die for each applicable skill (NOT ATTRIBUTE) point, namely Science +1 in Beronix's case.

And finally, if anyone joins in the work, add a die for each of their applicable skills points. For example if someone with a Medic +1 helps, a die can be added to the pool.

He then rolls the dice and assigns each die to a question.

Those become points that are then marked next to each question. ONE DIE PER QUESTION.

The GM has a secret chart with point goals for each topic. (‣ )

So, the questions do not actually matter.

In fact, the hints and other information on the GM chart may have nothing to do with the questions asked.

But, the more questions you have for each topic, the faster you earn points for that topic, the more quickly the players receive information about that topic.

For example, the players have submitted two questions on the topic of Brain Water and one on the topic of CommCuffs. That's three dice for three questions and Beronix gets to add a die for his Science +1. So, that's four. He rolls four dice and gets 6, 4, 3, 2. The 2 is discarded. He assigns the 6 to the question of what's in the brain water. He assigns the 4 to the question of how to safely get off the Brain Water. And he assigns the 3 to how to get the CommCuff off. He marks each of those next to the corresponding questions on the sheet.

That means he spent a total of 10 points on the topic of Brain Water and 3 points to the topic of CommCuffs.

Unbeknownst to the players, there is a piece of information at the 9 points level on the GM chart, so they receive that information now. Also unbeknownst to the players, the next piece of information on the CommCuffs chart is at the 4 points level, so, if they had used the 4 on that question, rather than the 3, they would have received information on both topics.

This aspect of the game gives the players lots of choice in what they learn and at what pace. The GM, of course, controls how meaningful each chunk of information is and how they are spaced out on the chart.

For the charts, I make a list of every hint and piece of revelatory piece of information I can think of on that topic, then organize them into a logical progression. Then, I decide how many points should be required to earn that next piece of information.

Eventually, the players will receive answers to their questions and those will be removed from the topic list, lowering the speed at which points on that topic are earned.

However, new questions can be added to the topic.