i want to try the Dectection Research mission, but it says i need 5k research for that. Does that mean i need to have that amount on unspend research or does it refer to the total amount of research i spend up to now on various tech? And if it means i need to have it 'banked' is it spend when accepting or still aviable?

You need to use 5k research points I guess.

5k research is pretty easy to earn. depending on your level you should be able to spend that much in a day or so provided you have 100+ RP/h

ATM i have 66RP/hr with rank 20, so wouldnt that take me 76hrs? During that time i cannot research anything else. Im working on cold fusion now to increae my energy gain. I have one mission which gives me a chance to give me minor RP, but i dont think that would make a shattering impact. I dont want to second guess you, i am new to this game and trying to learn

The 5k requirement is for total research spent. You can find out how many points you have spent so far by mousing over the production/hr in the research tab.

Ahhhhh fanx, that was the answer i was hoping for! There is wicked fast help here indeed