At the moment, positions such as the following are available: Professor/Lecturer, Herbalist, Cataloguer, Potions Reseacher, Weapons Engineer, Field Gopher, or Scientist. As far as threading things or discoveries within the Institute, minor discoveries (for example: this combination of extracted oils seems to ward off certain household pests) do not require mod approval. Large discoveries or developments (for example: we made a device that compels everyone to tell the truth) should be ran by us via quick PM. If you have any doubts, feel free to ask!

He would not be able to rent a space without being an official employee, though. He's free to, as an employee, pursue his own interests, but the Institute will not allow him to use their space/resources without benefiting from it.