[Mark Caliber]

In the Rim, there is a LOT of work relating to paleontology since most systems will be home to relatively new colonies. Or they are established worlds with newly discovered species (for the rest of the galaxy).

Biochemistry will be another hot topic for research. New flora & fauna with new products to be explored and exploited.

One common problem in the Rim is that they don't have a lot of mature hyperspace navigational data so a scientist could spend an entire lifetime just trying to find shorter and better space routes.

Spring boarding off of the previous idea, any star which is unique or abnormal. Heck any unique or bizarre astronomical object.

And depending on his patron, researching "spice" is always a possibility.

There are remnants of collapsed civilizations throughout the galaxy, so archeology would be a possibility.

There are a couple of ideas to noodle over.