[Prior comment got truncated, retrying.]

- The best defense is to use a large starbase loaded to the brim with firepower or ECM, though this will drive up fuel costs and the initial development costs of your research center. -

Or just use an unarmed small. I had an unarmed small highsec research POS up for most of a year with no problem. Place it in a low-traffic system with plenty of free moons, and log in at least once a day so that you can pull down the labs safely if you get wardecced. It would be cheaper to replace the small tower than it is to fuel a heavily armed large for a month.