I'm afraid I don't have a solution for you either, at least not from a game mechanics perspective. I don't think you can SM edit officers, though it's a valid suggestion.
That being said, you could take it as a chance to differentiate your nations from one another. Roleplaying is the key here I think, and a space race with uneven odds would just make that much more fun. Realistically, it won't be very long in the grand scheme of things before your disadvantaged nation gets at least one CP scientist. Of course, they can increase their chances by pumping out military academies. Tech spillover from the more advanced nations will help as well, possibly offsetting their delays somewhat.