It does not unbalance the game whatsoever if a minor has the same or more TTs than a major. It might look odd, but it is just potential to research something, not actual research, where the USA with its high IC will be better no matter what.
As for early 30-40 nuclear research. Yes most of the minors were better than the SOV. If you look at the tech themselves they are nuclear departments and some basic science. In those AUS with Schrödinger would be way better than the SOV. (And without the Nazis chasing all the scientist away from Europa the USA would not have the scientific potential to research the bomb.) When it comes to bomb research it is not the teams, but the IC what counts. The TTs represent the knowhow (which were there) the IC requirement represent the actual ability. So I do not see any problem there.
As for Navy and land locked countries. Please keep in mind that AUS (as well as HUN, SLO, CZE) were part of a kingdom that some 20 years in the past had a Navy an a sizable fleet. Some of their landlocked yards were actually producing seagoing warships during WWI. And all had a river flottilla.
Thus they can have a shipyard and naval doctrine team.
You might suggest to have its skill at 1-2, because they are landlocked. But it make no sense in the current implementation of research, as then a tank team with skill 5 would do all the naval ship research, and the highest level team all the naval doctrines.
As for moving them to later. Why? They represent a potential. A potential, that in normal games would never be used.
I DO CARE about balance, and skill proposals that would significantly increase a country's ability to do research are turned down. We do check how they compare to vanilla setup.