Board Game Arena

New player here.
Can one get blocked from further research? I have a situation where the game caps me at using only 10 research points and yet the lowest possible research costs 15, and it doesn't allow me to research anything.
Is there a way out of this? Or have I dug myself into a hole?

Yes, that is the trap for Research Gearing Limits. There is a variant that lets you pay for research credits, but it is not implemented here.