I think design research is a little different than industrial design in terms of background requirements. A lot of people in design research have non traditional and carried backgrounds. I recommend proving through linked in and finding a few design researchers and asking if you can have a phone call or email exchange with them. Even better, find someone local and take them to coffee.
The design researchers I’ve worked with have had backgrounds as traditional designers, some were cultural anthropologists, or came from the tech side. The most important things I’ve found were to be naturally curious about human behavior, follow constant process, have an objective mind set, and collaborate with other disciplines to craft and mine insights.