As State Adviser to President on Political Affairs, Rafael Khakimov deals with issues concerning relationship between Tatarstan and Federal center, also he takes part in development of internal policy.

He is in charge of ideological part in the "Tatarstan - new age" movement (TNA), in particular TNA Programme.

His scientific interests include problems of Russian federalism, interethnic relationship in Tatarstan and Russia, conflictology, history of Tatarstan in the XXth century.