I tested this with a fresh download of the v1130 program from this forum and it is always repeatable.
My PC uses the UK decimal period, thousands comma layout for numbers, no problems elsewhere.
When setting conventional start for a player race and manually adding research and build points, only the research points become available in the game and the build points are not present.
To replicate start a new game, use default settings except to select conventional player race, than add research and build points to the conventional race design window then create the game.
In game you will find the research points are available but in the ship design misc tab there is no instant window. If you enter SpaceMaster mode to see the instant window it shows "0" points. Creating a design and locking etc does not change this.
This contrasts with a TN start where the instant build points are immediately evident in the instant window of the misc tab of ship class design.
If you are getting deja vu I previously discussed this bug with screenies in the "Questions not worth their own thread" thread to check if I had missed something obvious.
http://aurora2.pentarch.org/index.php?topic=11545.msg159739#msg159739Screenshots: first shows a conventional start settings including the build points. The second shows ship class misc tab in game with no build points (by activating SM to show instant which otherwise does not show), plus the edge of the research window behind it on the right with 95,000 points remaining, as expected after researching TN, to show the research points are working OK.