I find it useful to make specialty schools. Since gentlemen gain beneficial traits the more they research a particular area, I've found it very useful to have one military research school, one industry research school, and one social research school. I assign gentlemen to these schools based on what they're best at with their starting traits. The constant research in only one field quickly makes all the gentlemen very good at that particular field and results in a major boost in research speed in that area. When I get a 4th school, it usually becomes a secondary military research school.