Working on integrating Runic Magic, mostly through Original Research until my Magi runs into an example of it, any suggestion for useful but relatively low level spells I can try to make to increase my research points?
I can imagine that spells with Ring Duration and Circle as Target are similar enough to Runic Scripts - as you can scribe them with runes on the circle.
Verditius Elder Runes also are similar enough to form a base for Original Research.
Also long-term Creo spells could be similar to Runes - with Animalem or Terram or Ignem - which try to bypass the Parma as it can be read in old scripts about the history of the Order and first contact with Rune Wizards on the British Islands.
There is three Elder runes missing. Finding them could also be a good base for Original Research and also a source of great reputation within House Verditius.
However, unless the mage is already member of House Verditius, it will be almost impossible to get the basis of Elder Runes. In fact would a non-Verditius discover a way to self-initiate the Elder Runes Mysteries, he probably would be "strongly encourage" (under duress of unending Wizard's War) to join House Verditus.
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I also thought of Vulgar Alchemy. It allows a mage to discover component with new focus bonus. When making an enchanted device, component can be added to grant focus bonus, or a representation of them, like a carving.
Part of an original research could be to find new carving (= runes) that grant broad bonus (as broad as a Form or a Technique). The mage would move progressively away from figurative symbol to more abstract runes, perhaps drawing inspiration from old carvings from other magical tradition.
Of course that would only be the first step, use of symbol to make enchanted item is well known. But having symbols able to cast spell carved in a few hours looks possibly closer to Rusticani craft magic.
Sorry if I was unclear, I meant the Vitkir rune magic not the rune magic of house Verditius
I understood the initial query.
But as you said, you are looking at ways to proceed with his research until your mage manage to secure Vitkir runes or even a cooperative Vitkir mage, and I was proposing such alternatives.
Wayland was one main source of inspiration for Verditius and he was of Northern origin. Reconstructing Verditius work, by a mage who is not suffering of the same casting limitation as Verditius mages could lead to the integration of rune magic in general Magic Theory. So looking for missing runes could give insight into a hermetic version of rune magic.
In fact, one can speculate that if Verditius (the founder) did not suffer from his casting limitation, his work could have led to the rune integration directly into hermetic theory, instead of outer and inner house mysteries.
I'm going to be contrarian, but I don't think it makes much sense to work on integrating ancient magic by starting with regular original research rules until you encounter it. Yes, both techniques can be combined in some circumstances. Experimenting on longevity rituals to remove the fertility loss could start as original insight and later incorporate insight from hedge or rival traditions that have techniques to prolong life without the downside. But it feels odd to want to invent new parameters that coincidentally already exist prior to being aware it exists.
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Part of my character is that his father was a a Vitkir and he grew up around rune magic, so he is trying to bring the magic of his faith and father to hermetic magic.
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Wow, that is a cruel social situation, especially if the old Philippus Niger knows your ancestry. 
When you say "integrating Rune Magic", what is the actual effect you want to achieve? The virtue Hermetic Rune Magic proposed in Ancient Magic?
Some uses of the T: Inscription, D: Rune spells resemble T: Circle, D: Ring spells, but breaking the Lesser Limit of Creation. So I'd go in that direction. Eg.:
A True Bonfire (CrIg 20)
R: Touch, D: Ring, T: Circle, Ritual (the spell must be ritual because at this moment you still didn't manage to break the limit, so true creation will require a ritual and vis)This spell tries to create a true bonfire (real fire) using Ring and Circle. As no limits were broken the spell actually creates only a momentary burst of flame, but the nature of the research requires it to be designed at D: Ring nonetheless.
(Base 4, +1 Touch, +2 Ring, becomes 20 as rituals are at least lvl 20)
A variant version could perhaps be a ritual, but still create a magical fire with D: Ring, T: Circle. Personally, if I were the SG, I'd say that non-ritual spells can't provide breakthrough points towards this, even if the ritual part of the spell is actually doing nothing at all, because the only way hermetic magic has today to create permanent effects is through rituals.
I'd suggest you to parse the rune spells in Hedge Magic, if you have access to that book, and think of similar spells that could be invented with hermetic magic.
On the field of useful spells, what about healing wounds and diseases?
I think some interesting examples of magic you could produce by studying rune If could be things like the following:
A tablecloth with a runic inscription embroidered around the rim. Whenever a person folds out the cloth and says an incantation over it, the tablecloth is magically covered with a delicious feast of diverse food and plates. This food is real food and sates hunger. People can get drunk off of the mead etc. the only "drawback" is that the meal is the same everytime. If the creator is foresighted enough they solve this issue by making the most extravagant and diverse feast possible as the template for the meal.
A rune-stone that protects the structure it is placed inside/in front of from some adverse condition, e.g. fire, storms, lightning strikes, trolls (note that in scandinavian storytelling the word "troll" is usually closest in meaning to the english words "elf" and "fae/faerie"), any ward you can imagine.
A maypole with a runic inscription along it, that blesses the surrounding fields with fertility.
A sword with a runic inscription that makes the blade better somehow.
A wooden stick with a carved inscription. When placed in the bed of the person named in the inscription it aids healing.
A wooden stick with a name carved into it. When the stick has been carved the caster throws it to finish the spell, which is usually a enchantment or curse upon the named person.
Note that all of these are items. That is because you really need an item to get the most of the runic inscription making some permanent spell effect that also gains the benefit of being "real" (i.e. not resisted and not temporary).
In particular the first one, with the table cloth and the last two with the carved sticks are true to how contemporary storytelling in denmark (where I am from) imagines magic as conveyed through native (i.e. norse/scandinavian) fairy tales.
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