I actually never liked that. When I load a game I just want to see the map, because I never know what's the first thing I'll want to check - it could be research, it could be finances, could be a particular city, or even nothing at all.
I didn't mind it, although I usually clicked through after glancing and noting, "okay, so this is what I was working on last time." The idea for a more unobtrusive option might work better: even something as simple as red text that says, "Currently Researching: NOTHING" on the research progress bar would work.