Mikko Niemelä is a professor of sociology and the executive director of the INVEST Research Flagship Centre at the University of Turku. He is also a research professor at the Social Insurance Institution of Finland. He previously worked as a professor and associate professor of social and health policy at the University of Tampere in Finland.

His current research focuses on the cross-national differences in economic inequality, poverty and public welfare attitudes. His other areas of research include the mechanisms of the institutional change in welfare states and the role of ideas in policy processes. His research team in INVEST focuses on socioeconomic inequality and wellbeing. He has been a visiting scholar at the University of New South Wales (Australia) and Stockholm University (Sweden) and a visiting professor at Uppsala University (Sweden).

Research team leadership

• Executive Director of the INVEST Research Flagship Centre, University of Turku, 2024–current

• Research Area Director (‘Socioeconomic Inequality and Wellbeing’) at the INVEST Research Flagship Centre at the University of Turku, 2019–2025

• Director of the SRC research consortium project ‘Tackling Inequalities in Time of Austerity’ (TITA), 2015–2021, included 9 research units from Finland and Sweden

• Chair of sociology unit, Department of Social Research, University of Turku, 2019–2021

• Chair of the research group of health policy and health economics (HESPE), School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, 2014.

Research funding and grants

• Co-PI, 'Children First: Nordic policies and children's well-being', NordForsk, a four-year project grant, 2023–2027, PI: Mia Hakovirta, 10 999 581 NOK (930 000€)

• Co-PI, 'INVEST - Inequalities, Interventions and New Welfare State', The Academy of Finland, Flagship Programme for the research flagship, 2019–2026, PI: Jani Erola, 8 258 670€

• Co-PI, 'Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe – Finland (Consortium SHARE-Fi)', The Academy of Finland's research infrastructure project, 2024–2026, PI: Ismo Linnosmaa, funding for UTU 201 817€

• Co-PI, 'Inclusive Futures for Europe BEYOND the impacts of Industrie 4.0 and Digital Distruption', 2018-2023, PI: Steven Dhondt, funding for UTUT 224 695€

• PI, 'Tackling Ineqialities in Time of Austerity (TITA)', Strategic Research Council of the Academy of Finland, a six-year strategic consortium research project, 2015–2021, 6 642 000€

• PI, 'Own Fault, Bad Luck or Structural Causes?' National and International Perspectives on Opinions on the Causes of Poverty', The Academy of Finland, postdoctoral research project, 2007–2010, 189 000€

• PI, 'Multidimensionality of Regional Inequalities', The Foundation for Municipal Development, postdoctoral research project, 17 500€

• PI, 'Income, Consumptions and Subsistence', Emil Aaltonen Foundation, grant for doctoral studies, 2001–2004, 50 100€