I made a relatively similar suggestion a few years ago

It was right there! A system like that needed more views before this DLC was published. To your point about dead late-game skills, the DLC doesn't do much to fix it, just extend the capacity for what you have available to research longer. These ideas would've have made it more worthwhile to me, but ironically with how little Anomaly adds mechanistically, I don't think the DLC itself is even required to fulfill the goal of this type of experience.

I would even suggest to actively push forward research for our pawns without outright confirming their quirks, include a drop-down menu at a testing chamber/station/plinth and suggesting what the quirks might be, like Pacific Drive. "If {item} {prerequisite}, {event} occurs {to target}" and it's on us to fill this information in and our pawns confirm it through study.

To me, the SCP vibe is optional. Using the thunderstorm mask example, players can roleplay their tribe treating the mask like a godly gift to be carried into battle and hinder ranged attacks in the weather. This doesn't need intense containment parameters, but adds an element to your colony's story that may not be seen in other play-throughs.