I'm interested in doing something like this too, with a research focus on robotics, simulation, and programming languages.

The big dichotomy in research orgs is whether you need resources beyond researcher stipends. Robotics usually does, and programming language research usually doesn't. OpenAI does -- both computing resources and infrastructure team salaries. Make sure you know which kind you're starting.

Another dichotomy: permanent or term employment. It depends on how long-term the projects are. Bell Labs and PARC got a lot of mileage out of permanent tenures, but the term model is (a) cheaper, (b) good for collaboration because people can come for a semester and carry ideas in and out.

Stipend + remote living will attract only young, single researchers for finite terms, so make sure that's what you want.

Email me (in profile) if you want to talk more.