Academic Support is a measure for what a scientist needs to properly do its job.

It is provided by a colony based on educated population, creativity and by some Points of Interest.
A scientists required Academic Support depends on their skills. Ingenuity has a particularly big impact.

You can review the academic support of your colonies on their scientists pages.

When you setup a research project you will be informed if you don't have enough Academic Support.

If you don't have enough Academic Support on a colony your scientists there will level their skills slower, this scales with how much of a deficit you have.