485BPOS

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 21, 2013

1933 Act Registration No. 033-16905

1940 Act Registration No. 811-05309

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933	¨
Pre-Effective Amendment No.	¨
Post-Effective Amendment No. 151	þ
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
Amendment No. 151	þ

Nuveen Investment Funds, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

333 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

(312) 917-7700

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code):

Kevin J. McCarthy Vice President and Secretary 333 West Wacker Drive Chicago, Illinois 60606
(Name and Address of Agent for Service) Copies to: Eric F. Fess Chapman and Cutler LLP 111 West Monroe Street Chicago, Illinois 60603

Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering: As soon as practicable after effectiveness.

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):

x	immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)	¨	on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
¨	on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)	¨	75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
¨	60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)	¨	on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.

If appropriate, check the following box:

¨ This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.

This filing relates solely to the following Funds, each a series of the Registrant:

Nuveen Core Bond Fund

Nuveen Core Plus Bond Fund

Nuveen High Income Bond Fund

Nuveen Inflation Protected Securities Fund

Nuveen Intermediate Government Bond Fund

Nuveen Short Term Bond Fund

Nuveen Strategic Income Fund

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this registration statement under Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and has duly caused this post-effective amendment to its registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Chicago and State of Illinois, on the 21st day of November, 2013.

NUVEEN INVESTMENT FUNDS, INC.
By:	/s/    KEVIN J. MCCARTHY
	Kevin J. McCarthy
	Vice President and Secretary

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this post-effective amendment to the registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.

Signature	Title			Date
/s/    STEPHEN D. FOY         STEPHEN D. FOY	Vice President and Controller (principal financial and accounting officer)			November 21, 2013
/s/    GIFFORD R. ZIMMERMAN         GIFFORD R. ZIMMERMAN	Chief Administrative Officer (principal executive officer)			November 21, 2013
WILLIAM J. SCHNEIDER*	Chairman of the Board and Director	ü ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï þ ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï ï þ	By:	/S/    KEVIN J. MCCARTHY KEVIN J. MCCARTHY Attorney-in-Fact November 21, 2013
WILLIAM ADAMS IV*	Director
ROBERT P. BREMNER*	Director
JACK B. EVANS*	Director
WILLIAM C. HUNTER*	Director
DAVID J. KUNDERT*	Director
JOHN K. NELSON*	Director
THOMAS S. SCHREIER*	Director
JUDITH M. STOCKDALE*	Director
CAROLE E. STONE*	Director
VIRGINIA L. STRINGER*	Director
TERENCE J. TOTH*	Director

* An original power of attorney authorizing, among others, Kevin J. McCarthy and Gifford R. Zimmerman to execute this registration statement, and amendments thereto, for each of the directors of the Registrant on whose behalf this registration statement is filed, has been executed and has previously been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is incorporated by reference herein.

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit Number	Exhibit
101.INS	XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase
101.DEF	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase
101.LAB	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase
101.PRE	XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	NUVEEN INVESTMENT FUNDS INC
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Oct. 31, 2013
Nuveen Core Plus Bond Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	Nuveen Core Plus Bond Fund
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	The investment objective of the Fund is to provide investors with high current income consistent with limited risk to capital.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	Fees and Expenses of the Fund
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts, as well as eligibility requirements for each share class, is available from your financial advisor and in “What Share Classes We Offer” on page 53 of the Fund’s prospectus, “How to Reduce Your Sales Charge” on page 56 of the prospectus and “Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares” on page S-97 of the Fund’s statement of additional information.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination	October 31, 2014
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock	The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 46% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	46.00%
Expenses Deferred Charges [Text Block]	rr_ExpensesDeferredChargesTextBlock	The contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.
Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts	You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds.
Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount	$ 50,000
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then either redeem or do not redeem your shares at the end of a period. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same, and the contractual fee waivers currently in place are not renewed beyond October 31, 2014. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Expense Example by, Year, Caption [Text]	rr_ExpenseExampleByYearCaption	Redemption
Expense Example, No Redemption, By Year, Caption [Text]	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionByYearCaption	No Redemption
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of the sum of its net assets and the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in bonds, such as: U.S. government securities (securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities), including zero coupon securities; residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities; asset-backed securities; and corporate debt obligations, including obligations issued by special-purpose entities that are backed by corporate debt obligations. Up to 20% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in securities rated lower than investment grade or unrated securities of comparable quality as determined by the Fund’s sub-adviser (securities commonly referred to as “high yield” or “junk bonds”). The Fund will not invest in securities rated lower than CCC at the time of purchase or in unrated securities of comparable quality as determined by the Fund’s sub-adviser. If the rating of a security is reduced or the credit quality of an unrated security declines after purchase, the Fund is not required to sell the security, but may consider doing so. Unrated securities will not exceed 25% of the Fund’s total assets. The Fund may invest up to 35% of its total assets in debt obligations of foreign corporations and foreign governments. However, no more than 10% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in debt obligations of corporations and governments that are located in emerging market countries. A country is considered to have an “emerging market” if it has a relatively low gross national product per capita compared to the world’s major economies, and the potential for rapid economic growth, provided that no issuer included in the Fund’s current benchmark index will be considered to be located in an emerging market country. Up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets may have non-U.S. dollar currency exposure from non-U.S. dollar denominated securities and currency derivatives, calculated on an absolute notional basis (i.e., adding together the absolute value of net long and net short exposures to individual non-U.S. dollar currencies). The Fund’s sub-adviser selects securities using a “top-down” approach, which begins with the formulation of the sub-adviser’s general economic outlook. Following this, various sectors and industries are analyzed and selected for investment. Finally, the sub-adviser selects individual securities within these sectors or industries. Under normal market conditions, the Fund attempts to maintain a weighted average effective maturity for its portfolio securities of fifteen years or less and an average effective duration of three to eight years. The Fund’s weighted average effective maturity and average effective duration are measures of how the value of the Fund’s shares may react to interest rate changes. To generate additional income, the Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in dollar roll transactions. In a dollar roll transaction, the Fund sells mortgage-backed securities for delivery in the current month while contracting with the same party to repurchase similar securities at a future date. The Fund may utilize the following derivatives: options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; interest rate caps, collars, and floors; foreign currency contracts; options on foreign currencies; swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, currency rates, security indexes and specific securities, and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements. The Fund may enter into standardized derivatives contracts traded on domestic or foreign securities exchanges, boards of trade, or similar entities, and non-standardized derivatives contracts traded in the over-the-counter market. The Fund may use these derivatives in an attempt to manage market risk, currency risk, credit risk and yield curve risk, to manage the effective maturity or duration of securities in the Fund’s portfolio or for speculative purposes in an effort to increase the Fund’s yield or to enhance returns. The Fund may also use derivatives to gain exposure to non-dollar denominated securities markets to the extent it does not do so through direct investments. The use of a derivative is speculative if the Fund is primarily seeking to enhance returns, rather than offset the risk of other positions. The Fund may not use any derivative to gain exposure to a security or type of security that it would be prohibited by its investment restrictions from purchasing directly.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, listed alphabetically, include: Call Risk—If an issuer calls higher-yielding debt instruments held by the Fund, performance could be adversely impacted. Credit Risk—Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security may be unable or unwilling to make interest and principal payments when due and the related risk that the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the issuer’s ability or willingness to make such payments. Currency Risk—Changes in currency exchange rates will affect the value of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities, interest earned from such securities, gains and losses realized on the sale of such securities, and derivative transactions tied to such securities. A strong U.S. dollar relative to these other currencies will adversely affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio. Derivatives Risk—The use of options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; interest rate caps, collars, and floors; foreign currency contracts; options on foreign currencies; swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, currency rates, security indexes and specific securities, and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements involves additional risks and transaction costs which could leave the Fund in a worse position than if it had not used these instruments. Derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest. As a result, a small investment in derivatives can result in losses that greatly exceed the original investment. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value. A derivative transaction also involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the contract to make required payments. Dollar Roll Transaction Risk—The use of dollar rolls can increase the volatility of the Fund’s share price, and it may have an adverse impact on performance unless the sub-adviser correctly predicts mortgage prepayments and interest rates. High Yield Securities Risk—High yield securities, which are rated below investment grade and commonly referred to as “junk” bonds, are high risk investments that may cause income and principal losses for the Fund. They generally have greater credit risk, are less liquid and have more volatile prices than investment grade securities. Income Risk—The Fund’s income could decline during periods of falling interest rates. Interest Rate Risk—Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Fund’s portfolio will decline because of rising interest rates. When interest rates change, the values of longer-duration debt securities usually change more than the values of shorter-duration debt securities. Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risk—These securities generally can be prepaid at any time, and prepayments that occur either more quickly or more slowly than expected can adversely impact the value of such securities. They are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that rising interest rates could cause mortgages or other obligations underlying the securities to be prepaid more slowly than expected, thereby lengthening the duration of such securities, increasing their sensitivity to interest rate changes and causing their prices to decline. A mortgage-backed security may be negatively affected by the quality of the mortgages underlying such security, the credit quality of its issuer or guarantor, and the nature and structure of its credit support. Non-U.S./Emerging Markets Risk—Non-U.S. issuers or U.S. issuers with significant non-U.S. operations may be subject to risks in addition to those of issuers located in or that principally operate in the United States as a result of, among other things, political, social and economic developments abroad and different legal, regulatory and tax environments. These additional risks may be heightened for securities of issuers located in, or with significant operations in, emerging market countries. Zero Coupon Bonds Risk—Because interest on zero coupon bonds is not paid on a current basis, the values of zero coupon bonds will be more volatile in response to interest rate changes than the values of bonds that distribute income regularly. Although zero coupon bonds generate income for accounting purposes, they do not produce cash flow, and thus the Fund could be forced to liquidate securities at an inopportune time in order to generate cash to distribute to shareholders as required by tax laws.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund.
Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Text]	rr_RiskNotInsuredDepositoryInstitution	An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	Fund Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the potential risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at www.nuveen.com/performance or by calling (800) 257-8787.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The bar chart below shows the variability of the Fund’s performance from year to year for Class A shares.
Performance Availability Phone [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone	(800) 257-8787
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.nuveen.com/performance
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	Class A Annual Total Return
Bar Chart Narrative [Text Block]	rr_BarChartNarrativeTextBlock	The bar chart below shows the variability of the Fund’s performance from year to year for Class A shares. The performance of the other share classes will differ due to their different expense structures. The bar chart and highest/lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	The bar chart and highest/lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	During the ten-year period ended December 31, 2012, the Fund’s highest and lowest quarterly returns were 13.06% and -6.39%, respectively, for the quarters ended June 30, 2009 and September 30, 2008.
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2012
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate	rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate	All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred	rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred	After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans.
Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]	rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown	After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	The table below shows the variability of the Fund’s average annual returns and how they compare over the time periods indicated with those of a broad measure of market performance and an index of funds with similar investment objectives. All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans. Both the bar chart and the table assume that all distributions have been reinvested. Performance reflects fee waivers, if any, in effect during the periods presented. If any such waivers were not in place, returns would be reduced.
Nuveen Core Plus Bond Fund | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	4.25%
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	15	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.46%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.25%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.10%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.81%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.04%)	[3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.77%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	500
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	669
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	852
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,381
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	500
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	669
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	852
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,381
2003	rr_AnnualReturn2003	3.95%	[4]
2004	rr_AnnualReturn2004	3.53%	[4]
2005	rr_AnnualReturn2005	2.08%	[4]
2006	rr_AnnualReturn2006	3.68%	[4]
2007	rr_AnnualReturn2007	5.80%	[4]
2008	rr_AnnualReturn2008	(10.84%)	[4]
2009	rr_AnnualReturn2009	24.04%	[4]
2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	7.69%	[4]
2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	4.65%	[4]
2012	rr_AnnualReturn2012	8.49%	[4]
Year to Date Return, Label	rr_YearToDateReturnLabel	year-to-date total return
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2013
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn	(1.83%)
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	highest
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Jun. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	13.06%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	lowest
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(6.39%)
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	3.87%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	5.31%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.55%
Nuveen Core Plus Bond Fund | Class C
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	1.00%	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	15	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.46%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	1.00%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.10%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.56%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.04%)	[3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.52%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	155
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	489
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	846
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,853
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	155
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	489
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	846
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,853
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	7.76%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	5.43%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.23%
Nuveen Core Plus Bond Fund | Class R3
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	none	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.46%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.50%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.10%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.06%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.04%)	[3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.02%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	104
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	333
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	581
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,291
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	104
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	333
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	581
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,291
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	8.33%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	6.00%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.81%
Nuveen Core Plus Bond Fund | Class I
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	15	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.46%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.10%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.56%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.04%)	[3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.52%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	53
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	175
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	309
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	698
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	53
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	175
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	309
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	$ 698
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	8.79%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	6.48%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	5.26%
Nuveen Core Plus Bond Fund | (return after taxes on distributions) | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	2.52%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	3.65%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	2.96%
Nuveen Core Plus Bond Fund | (return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares) | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	2.57%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	3.53%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	2.93%
Nuveen Core Plus Bond Fund | Barclays Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	4.21%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	5.95%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	5.18%
Nuveen Core Plus Bond Fund | Lipper Core Bond Plus Classification Average (reflects no deduction for taxes or sales loads)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	8.15%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	6.43%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	5.43%

[1] The contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.

[2] Fee applies to the following types of accounts under $1,000 held directly with the Fund: individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and accounts established pursuant to the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA).

[3] The Fund's investment adviser has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse other Fund expenses through October 31, 2014 so that total annual fund operating expenses, after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements and excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, do not exceed 0.77%, 1.52%, 1.02% and 0.52% for Class A, Class C, Class R3 and Class I shares, respectively. Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will not be terminated prior to that time without the approval of the Fund's board of directors.

[4] Class A year-to-date total return as of September 30, 2013 was -1.83%.

XML

Nuveen Core Plus Bond Fund

Nuveen Core Plus Bond Fund

Investment Objective

The investment objective of the Fund is to provide investors with high current income consistent with limited risk to capital.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts, as well as eligibility requirements for each share class, is available from your financial advisor and in “What Share Classes We Offer” on page 53 of the Fund’s prospectus, “How to Reduce Your Sales Charge” on page 56 of the prospectus and “Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares” on page S-97 of the Fund’s statement of additional information.

Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees Nuveen Core Plus Bond Fund (USD $)		Class A	Class C	Class R3	Class I
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)		4.25%	none	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	[1]	none	1.00%	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends		none	none	none	none
Exchange Fee		none	none	none	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	[2]	15	15	none	15

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses Nuveen Core Plus Bond Fund		Class A	Class C	Class R3	Class I
Management Fees		0.46%	0.46%	0.46%	0.46%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees		0.25%	1.00%	0.50%	none
Other Expenses		0.10%	0.10%	0.10%	0.10%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		0.81%	1.56%	1.06%	0.56%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	[1]	(0.04%)	(0.04%)	(0.04%)	(0.04%)
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements		0.77%	1.52%	1.02%	0.52%

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then either redeem or do not redeem your shares at the end of a period. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same, and the contractual fee waivers currently in place are not renewed beyond October 31, 2014. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Redemption

Expense Example Nuveen Core Plus Bond Fund (USD $)	A	C	R3	I
1 Year	500	155	104	53
3 Years	669	489	333	175
5 Years	852	846	581	309
10 Years	1,381	1,853	1,291	698

No Redemption

Expense Example, No Redemption Nuveen Core Plus Bond Fund (USD $)	A	C	R3	I
1 Year	500	155	104	53
3 Years	669	489	333	175
5 Years	852	846	581	309
10 Years	1,381	1,853	1,291	698

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 46% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of the sum of its net assets and the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in bonds, such as:

• U.S. government securities (securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities), including zero coupon securities;

• residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities;

• asset-backed securities; and

• corporate debt obligations, including obligations issued by special-purpose entities that are backed by corporate debt obligations.

Up to 20% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in securities rated lower than investment grade or unrated securities of comparable quality as determined by the Fund’s sub-adviser (securities commonly referred to as “high yield” or “junk bonds”). The Fund will not invest in securities rated lower than CCC at the time of purchase or in unrated securities of comparable quality as determined by the Fund’s sub-adviser. If the rating of a security is reduced or the credit quality of an unrated security declines after purchase, the Fund is not required to sell the security, but may consider doing so. Unrated securities will not exceed 25% of the Fund’s total assets.

The Fund may invest up to 35% of its total assets in debt obligations of foreign corporations and foreign governments. However, no more than 10% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in debt obligations of corporations and governments that are located in emerging market countries. A country is considered to have an “emerging market” if it has a relatively low gross national product per capita compared to the world’s major economies, and the potential for rapid economic growth, provided that no issuer included in the Fund’s current benchmark index will be considered to be located in an emerging market country.

Up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets may have non-U.S. dollar currency exposure from non-U.S. dollar denominated securities and currency derivatives, calculated on an absolute notional basis (i.e., adding together the absolute value of net long and net short exposures to individual non-U.S. dollar currencies).

The Fund’s sub-adviser selects securities using a “top-down” approach, which begins with the formulation of the sub-adviser’s general economic outlook. Following this, various sectors and industries are analyzed and selected for investment. Finally, the sub-adviser selects individual securities within these sectors or industries.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund attempts to maintain a weighted average effective maturity for its portfolio securities of fifteen years or less and an average effective duration of three to eight years. The Fund’s weighted average effective maturity and average effective duration are measures of how the value of the Fund’s shares may react to interest rate changes.

To generate additional income, the Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in dollar roll transactions. In a dollar roll transaction, the Fund sells mortgage-backed securities for delivery in the current month while contracting with the same party to repurchase similar securities at a future date.

The Fund may utilize the following derivatives: options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; interest rate caps, collars, and floors; foreign currency contracts; options on foreign currencies; swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, currency rates, security indexes and specific securities, and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements. The Fund may enter into standardized derivatives contracts traded on domestic or foreign securities exchanges, boards of trade, or similar entities, and non-standardized derivatives contracts traded in the over-the-counter market. The Fund may use these derivatives in an attempt to manage market risk, currency risk, credit risk and yield curve risk, to manage the effective maturity or duration of securities in the Fund’s portfolio or for speculative purposes in an effort to increase the Fund’s yield or to enhance returns. The Fund may also use derivatives to gain exposure to non-dollar denominated securities markets to the extent it does not do so through direct investments. The use of a derivative is speculative if the Fund is primarily seeking to enhance returns, rather than offset the risk of other positions. The Fund may not use any derivative to gain exposure to a security or type of security that it would be prohibited by its investment restrictions from purchasing directly.

Principal Risks

The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, listed alphabetically, include:

Call Risk—If an issuer calls higher-yielding debt instruments held by the Fund, performance could be adversely impacted.

Credit Risk—Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security may be unable or unwilling to make interest and principal payments when due and the related risk that the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the issuer’s ability or willingness to make such payments.

Currency Risk—Changes in currency exchange rates will affect the value of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities, interest earned from such securities, gains and losses realized on the sale of such securities, and derivative transactions tied to such securities. A strong U.S. dollar relative to these other currencies will adversely affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio.

Derivatives Risk—The use of options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; interest rate caps, collars, and floors; foreign currency contracts; options on foreign currencies; swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, currency rates, security indexes and specific securities, and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements involves additional risks and transaction costs which could leave the Fund in a worse position than if it had not used these instruments. Derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest. As a result, a small investment in derivatives can result in losses that greatly exceed the original investment. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value. A derivative transaction also involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the contract to make required payments.

Dollar Roll Transaction Risk—The use of dollar rolls can increase the volatility of the Fund’s share price, and it may have an adverse impact on performance unless the sub-adviser correctly predicts mortgage prepayments and interest rates.

High Yield Securities Risk—High yield securities, which are rated below investment grade and commonly referred to as “junk” bonds, are high risk investments that may cause income and principal losses for the Fund. They generally have greater credit risk, are less liquid and have more volatile prices than investment grade securities.

Income Risk—The Fund’s income could decline during periods of falling interest rates.

Interest Rate Risk—Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Fund’s portfolio will decline because of rising interest rates. When interest rates change, the values of longer-duration debt securities usually change more than the values of shorter-duration debt securities.

Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risk—These securities generally can be prepaid at any time, and prepayments that occur either more quickly or more slowly than expected can adversely impact the value of such securities. They are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that rising interest rates could cause mortgages or other obligations underlying the securities to be prepaid more slowly than expected, thereby lengthening the duration of such securities, increasing their sensitivity to interest rate changes and causing their prices to decline. A mortgage-backed security may be negatively affected by the quality of the mortgages underlying such security, the credit quality of its issuer or guarantor, and the nature and structure of its credit support.

Non-U.S./Emerging Markets Risk—Non-U.S. issuers or U.S. issuers with significant non-U.S. operations may be subject to risks in addition to those of issuers located in or that principally operate in the United States as a result of, among other things, political, social and economic developments abroad and different legal, regulatory and tax environments. These additional risks may be heightened for securities of issuers located in, or with significant operations in, emerging market countries.

Zero Coupon Bonds Risk—Because interest on zero coupon bonds is not paid on a current basis, the values of zero coupon bonds will be more volatile in response to interest rate changes than the values of bonds that distribute income regularly. Although zero coupon bonds generate income for accounting purposes, they do not produce cash flow, and thus the Fund could be forced to liquidate securities at an inopportune time in order to generate cash to distribute to shareholders as required by tax laws.

Fund Performance

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the potential risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at www.nuveen.com/performance or by calling (800) 257-8787.

The bar chart below shows the variability of the Fund’s performance from year to year for Class A shares. The performance of the other share classes will differ due to their different expense structures. The bar chart and highest/lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.

Class A Annual Total Return

During the ten-year period ended December 31, 2012, the Fund’s highest and lowest quarterly returns were 13.06% and -6.39%, respectively, for the quarters ended June 30, 2009 and September 30, 2008.

The table below shows the variability of the Fund’s average annual returns and how they compare over the time periods indicated with those of a broad measure of market performance and an index of funds with similar investment objectives. All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans.

Both the bar chart and the table assume that all distributions have been reinvested. Performance reflects fee waivers, if any, in effect during the periods presented. If any such waivers were not in place, returns would be reduced.

Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended
December 31, 2012

Average Annual Total Returns Nuveen Core Plus Bond Fund	1 Year	5 Years	10 Years
Class A	3.87%	5.31%	4.55%
Class A (return after taxes on distributions)	2.52%	3.65%	2.96%
Class A (return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares)	2.57%	3.53%	2.93%
Class C	7.76%	5.43%	4.23%
Class R3	8.33%	6.00%	4.81%
Class I	8.79%	6.48%	5.26%
Barclays Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)	4.21%	5.95%	5.18%
Lipper Core Bond Plus Classification Average (reflects no deduction for taxes or sales loads)	8.15%	6.43%	5.43%

[1] The contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.

[2] Fee applies to the following types of accounts under $1,000 held directly with the Fund: individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and accounts established pursuant to the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA).

[1] The Fund's investment adviser has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse other Fund expenses through October 31, 2014 so that total annual fund operating expenses, after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements and excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, do not exceed 0.77%, 1.52%, 1.02% and 0.52% for Class A, Class C, Class R3 and Class I shares, respectively. Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will not be terminated prior to that time without the approval of the Fund's board of directors.

[1] Class A year-to-date total return as of September 30, 2013 was -1.83%.

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Nuveen High Income Bond Fund

Nuveen High Income Bond Fund

Investment Objective

The investment objective of the Fund is to provide investors with a high level of current income.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts, as well as eligibility requirements for each share class, is available from your financial advisor and in “What Share Classes We Offer” on page 53 of the Fund’s prospectus, “How to Reduce Your Sales Charge” on page 56 of the prospectus and “Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares” on page S-97 of the Fund’s statement of additional information.

Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees Nuveen High Income Bond Fund (USD $)		Class A	Class B	Class C	Class R3	Class I
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)		4.75%	none	none	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	[1]	none	5.00%	1.00%	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends		none	none	none	none	none
Exchange Fee		none	none	none	none	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	[2]	15	15	15	none	15

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses Nuveen High Income Bond Fund	Class A	Class B	Class C	Class R3	Class I
Management Fees	0.56%	0.56%	0.56%	0.56%	0.56%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	0.25%	1.00%	1.00%	0.50%	none
Other Expenses	0.13%	0.14%	0.14%	0.13%	0.14%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	0.03%	0.03%	0.03%	0.03%	0.03%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	0.97%	1.73%	1.73%	1.22%	0.73%

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then either redeem or do not redeem your shares at the end of a period. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Redemption

Expense Example Nuveen High Income Bond Fund (USD $)	A	B	C	R3	I
1 Year	569	676	176	124	75
3 Years	769	845	545	387	233
5 Years	986	1,039	939	670	406
10 Years	1,608	1,840	2,041	1,477	906

No Redemption

Expense Example, No Redemption Nuveen High Income Bond Fund (USD $)	A	B	C	R3	I
1 Year	569	176	176	124	75
3 Years	769	545	545	387	233
5 Years	986	939	939	670	406
10 Years	1,608	1,840	2,041	1,477	906

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 133% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of the sum of its net assets and the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in bonds rated lower than investment grade at the time of purchase or in unrated bonds of comparable quality (securities commonly referred to as “high-yield” securities or “junk bonds”). These bonds generally provide high income in an effort to compensate investors for their higher risk of default, which is the failure to make required interest or principal payments. High-yield bond issuers include small or relatively new companies lacking the history or capital to merit investment-grade status, former blue chip companies downgraded because of financial problems, companies electing to borrow heavily to finance or avoid a takeover or buyout, and firms with heavy debt loads. The Fund may invest in exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, and other investment companies (“investment companies”).

The Fund’s sub-adviser employs a bottom up approach to investing. The sub-adviser devotes more resources to evaluating individual securities rather than assessing macro-economic trends. Securities are selected using fundamental credit research to identify relative value in the market. Positions are sold in anticipation of credit deterioration or when a security is priced expensively relative to other comparable investments.

There is no minimum rating requirement and no limitation on the average maturity or average effective duration of securities held by the Fund.

The Fund may invest without limitation in debt obligations of foreign corporations and governments, provided that no more than 20% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in debt obligations issued by governmental and corporate issuers that are located in emerging market countries. A country is considered to have an “emerging market” if it has a relatively low gross national product per capita compared to the world’s major economies, and the potential for rapid economic growth, provided that no issuer included in the Fund’s current benchmark index will be considered to be located in an emerging market country.

The Fund may utilize the following derivatives: options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; foreign currency contracts; options on foreign currencies; swap agreements, including interest rate swaps, currency swaps, total return swaps and credit default swaps; and options on swap agreements. The Fund may use these derivatives in an attempt to manage market risk, currency risk, credit risk and yield curve risk, to manage the effective maturity or duration of securities in the Fund’s portfolio or for speculative purposes in an effort to increase the Fund’s yield or to enhance returns. The use of a derivative is speculative if the Fund is primarily seeking to enhance returns, rather than offset the risk of other positions.

Principal Risks

The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, listed alphabetically, include:

Call Risk—If an issuer calls higher-yielding debt instruments held by the Fund, performance could be adversely impacted.

Credit Risk—Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security may be unable or unwilling to make interest and principal payments when due and the related risk that the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the issuer’s ability or willingness to make such payments.

Currency Risk—Changes in currency exchange rates will affect the value of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities, interest earned from such securities, gains and losses realized on the sale of such securities, and derivative transactions tied to such securities. A strong U.S. dollar relative to these other currencies will adversely affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio.

Derivatives Risk—The use of options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; foreign currency contracts; options on foreign currencies; swap agreements, including interest rate swaps, currency swaps, total return swaps and credit default swaps; and options on swap agreements involves additional risks and transaction costs which could leave the Fund in a worse position than if it had not used these instruments. Derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest. As a result, a small investment in derivatives can result in losses that greatly exceed the original investment. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value. A derivative transaction also involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the contract to make required payments.

High Yield Securities Risk—High yield securities, which are rated below investment grade and commonly referred to as “junk” bonds, are high risk investments that may cause income and principal losses for the Fund. They generally have greater credit risk, are less liquid and have more volatile prices than investment grade securities.

Income Risk—The Fund’s income could decline during periods of falling interest rates.

Interest Rate Risk—Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Fund’s portfolio will decline because of rising interest rates. When interest rates change, the values of longer-duration debt securities usually change more than the values of shorter-duration debt securities.

Non-U.S./Emerging Markets Risk—Non-U.S. issuers or U.S. issuers with significant non-U.S. operations may be subject to risks in addition to those of issuers located in or that principally operate in the United States as a result of, among other things, political, social and economic developments abroad and different legal, regulatory and tax environments. These additional risks may be heightened for securities of issuers located in, or with significant operations in, emerging market countries.

Other Investment Companies Risk—When the Fund invests in other investment companies, you bear both your proportionate share of Fund expenses and, indirectly, the expenses of the other investment companies. Furthermore, the Fund is exposed to the risks to which the other investment companies may be subject.

Fund Performance

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the potential risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at www.nuveen.com/performance or by calling (800) 257-8787.

The bar chart below shows the variability of the Fund’s performance from year to year for Class A shares. The performance of the other share classes will differ due to their different expense structures. The bar chart and highest/lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.

Class A Annual Total Return

During the ten-year period ended December 31, 2012, the Fund’s highest and lowest quarterly returns were 21.96% and -19.17%, respectively, for the quarters ended June 30, 2009 and December 31, 2008.

The table below shows the variability of the Fund’s average annual returns and how they compare over the time periods indicated with those of a broad measure of market performance and an index of funds with similar investment objectives. All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans.

Both the bar chart and the table assume that all distributions have been reinvested. Performance reflects fee waivers, if any, in effect during the periods presented. If any such waivers were not in place, returns would be reduced.

Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended
December 31, 2012

Average Annual Total Returns Nuveen High Income Bond Fund		1 Year	5 Years	10 Years
Class A	[1]	12.25%	7.78%	8.69%
Class A (return after taxes on distributions)	[1]	9.22%	4.70%	5.81%
Class A (return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares)	[1]	7.88%	4.75%	5.73%
Class B	[1]	12.25%	7.95%	8.44%
Class C	[1]	17.18%	8.13%	8.45%
Class R3	[1]	17.55%	8.61%	8.98%
Class I	[1]	18.31%	9.16%	9.51%
Barclays High Yield 2% Issuer Capped Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)	[1]	15.78%	10.45%	10.60%
Lipper High Yield Classification Average (reflects no deduction for taxes or sales loads)	[1]	14.66%	8.01%	8.89%

[1] The contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") on Class B shares declines over a six-year period from purchase. The CDSC on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.

[2] Fee applies to the following types of accounts under $1,000 held directly with the Fund: individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and accounts established pursuant to the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA).

[1] Class A year-to-date total return as of September 30, 2013 was 5.05%.

[1] Performance presented prior to 3/14/03 represents that of First American High Yield Bond Fund, which merged into the Fund on that date.

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	NUVEEN INVESTMENT FUNDS INC
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Oct. 31, 2013
Nuveen Strategic Income Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	Nuveen Strategic Income Fund
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	The investment objective of the Fund is to provide investors with total return.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	Fees and Expenses of the Fund
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts, as well as eligibility requirements for each share class, is available from your financial advisor and in “What Share Classes We Offer” on page 53 of the Fund’s prospectus, “How to Reduce Your Sales Charge” on page 56 of the prospectus and “Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares” on page S-97 of the Fund’s statement of additional information.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination	October 31, 2014
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock	The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 69% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	69.00%
Expenses Deferred Charges [Text Block]	rr_ExpensesDeferredChargesTextBlock	The contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") on Class B shares declines over a six-year period from purchase. The CDSC on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.
Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts	You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds.
Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount	$ 50,000
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then either redeem or do not redeem your shares at the end of a period. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same, and the contractual fee waivers currently in place are not renewed beyond October 31, 2014. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Expense Example by, Year, Caption [Text]	rr_ExpenseExampleByYearCaption	Redemption
Expense Example, No Redemption, By Year, Caption [Text]	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionByYearCaption	No Redemption
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of the sum of its net assets and the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in debt securities, including: U.S. government securities (securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities); residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities; asset-backed securities; domestic and foreign corporate debt obligations, including obligations issued by special-purpose entities that are backed by corporate debt obligations; and debt obligations of foreign governments. The Fund may invest up to 30% of its total assets in non-U.S. dollar denominated debt obligations of foreign corporations and governments, including debt obligations issued by governmental and corporate issuers that are located in emerging market countries. The Fund may invest without limitation in U.S. dollar denominated securities of foreign issuers. The Fund may invest up to 50% of its total assets in securities rated lower than investment grade or unrated securities of comparable quality as determined by the Fund’s sub-adviser (securities commonly referred to as “high yield” or “junk bonds”). The Fund will not invest in securities rated lower than CCC at the time of purchase or in unrated securities of comparable quality as determined by the Fund’s sub-adviser. If the rating of a security is reduced or the credit quality of an unrated security declines after purchase, the Fund is not required to sell the security, but may consider doing so. Unrated securities will not exceed 25% of the Fund’s total assets. The Fund’s sub-adviser makes buy, sell, and hold decisions using a “top-down” approach, which begins with the formulation of the sub-adviser’s general economic outlook. Following this, various sectors and industries are analyzed and selected for investment. Finally, the sub-adviser selects individual securities within these sectors or industries. The sub-adviser also analyzes expected changes to the yield curve under multiple market conditions to help define maturity and duration selection. To generate additional income, the Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in dollar roll transactions. In a dollar roll transaction, the Fund sells mortgage-backed securities for delivery in the current month while contracting with the same party to repurchase similar securities at a future date. Under normal market conditions, the Fund attempts to maintain a weighted average effective maturity for its portfolio securities of fifteen years or less and an average effective duration of three to eight years. The Fund’s weighted average effective maturity and average effective duration are measures of how the value of the Fund’s shares may react to interest rate changes. The Fund may utilize the following derivatives: options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; interest rate caps, collars, and floors; foreign currency contracts; options on foreign currencies; swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, currency rates, security indexes and specific securities, and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements. The Fund may enter into standardized derivatives contracts traded on domestic or foreign securities exchanges, boards of trade, or similar entities, and non-standardized derivatives contracts traded in the over-the-counter market. The Fund may use these derivatives in an attempt to manage market risk, currency risk, credit risk and yield curve risk, to manage the effective maturity or duration of securities in the Fund’s portfolio or for speculative purposes in an effort to increase the Fund’s yield or to enhance returns. The Fund may also use derivatives to gain exposure to non-dollar denominated securities markets to the extent it does not do so through direct investments. The use of a derivative is speculative if the Fund is primarily seeking to enhance returns, rather than offset the risk of other positions. The Fund may not use any derivative to gain exposure to a security or type of security that it would be prohibited by its investment restrictions from purchasing directly.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, listed alphabetically, include: Call Risk—If an issuer calls higher-yielding debt instruments held by the Fund, performance could be adversely impacted. Credit Risk—Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security may be unable or unwilling to make interest and principal payments when due and the related risk that the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the issuer’s ability or willingness to make such payments. Currency Risk—Changes in currency exchange rates will affect the value of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities, interest earned from such securities, gains and losses realized on the sale of such securities, and derivative transactions tied to such securities. A strong U.S. dollar relative to these other currencies will adversely affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio. Derivatives Risk—The use of options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; interest rate caps, collars, and floors; foreign currency contracts; options on foreign currencies; swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, currency rates, security indexes and specific securities, and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements involves additional risks and transaction costs which could leave the Fund in a worse position than if it had not used these instruments. Derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest. As a result, a small investment in derivatives can result in losses that greatly exceed the original investment. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value. A derivative transaction also involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the contract to make required payments. Dollar Roll Transaction Risk—The use of dollar rolls can increase the volatility of the Fund’s share price, and it may have an adverse impact on performance unless the sub-adviser correctly predicts mortgage prepayments and interest rates. High Yield Securities Risk—High yield securities, which are rated below investment grade and commonly referred to as “junk” bonds, are high risk investments that may cause income and principal losses for the Fund. They generally have greater credit risk, are less liquid and have more volatile prices than investment grade securities. Income Risk—The Fund’s income could decline during periods of falling interest rates. Interest Rate Risk—Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Fund’s portfolio will decline because of rising interest rates. When interest rates change, the values of longer-duration debt securities usually change more than the values of shorter-duration debt securities. Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risk—These securities generally can be prepaid at any time, and prepayments that occur either more quickly or more slowly than expected can adversely impact the value of such securities. They are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that rising interest rates could cause mortgages or other obligations underlying the securities to be prepaid more slowly than expected, thereby lengthening the duration of such securities, increasing their sensitivity to interest rate changes and causing their prices to decline. A mortgage-backed security may be negatively affected by the quality of the mortgages underlying such security, the credit quality of its issuer or guarantor, and the nature and structure of its credit support. Non-U.S./Emerging Markets Risk—Non-U.S. issuers or U.S. issuers with significant non-U.S. operations may be subject to risks in addition to those of issuers located in or that principally operate in the United States as a result of, among other things, political, social and economic developments abroad and different legal, regulatory and tax environments. These additional risks may be heightened for securities of issuers located in, or with significant operations in, emerging market countries.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund.
Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Text]	rr_RiskNotInsuredDepositoryInstitution	An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	Fund Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the potential risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at www.nuveen.com/performance or by calling (800) 257-8787.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The bar chart below shows the variability of the Fund’s performance from year to year for Class A shares.
Performance Availability Phone [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone	(800) 257-8787
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.nuveen.com/performance
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	Class A Annual Total Return
Bar Chart Narrative [Text Block]	rr_BarChartNarrativeTextBlock	The bar chart below shows the variability of the Fund’s performance from year to year for Class A shares. The performance of the other share classes will differ due to their different expense structures. The bar chart and highest/lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	The bar chart and highest/lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	During the ten-year period ended December 31, 2012, the Fund’s highest and lowest quarterly returns were 22.45% and -8.60%, respectively, for the quarters ended June 30, 2009 and September 30, 2008.
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2012
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate	rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate	All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred	rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred	After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans.
Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]	rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown	After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	The table below shows the variability of the Fund’s average annual returns and how they compare over the time periods indicated with those of a broad measure of market performance and an index of funds with similar investment objectives. All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans. Both the bar chart and the table assume that all distributions have been reinvested. Performance reflects fee waivers, if any, in effect during the periods presented. If any such waivers were not in place, returns would be reduced.
Nuveen Strategic Income Fund | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	4.25%
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	15	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.54%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.25%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.11%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets	0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.91%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.06%)	[3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.85%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	508
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	697
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	902
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,492
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	508
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	697
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	902
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,492
2003	rr_AnnualReturn2003	9.77%	[4]
2004	rr_AnnualReturn2004	5.54%	[4]
2005	rr_AnnualReturn2005	2.37%	[4]
2006	rr_AnnualReturn2006	3.13%	[4]
2007	rr_AnnualReturn2007	5.89%	[4]
2008	rr_AnnualReturn2008	(14.81%)	[4]
2009	rr_AnnualReturn2009	36.40%	[4]
2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	9.12%	[4]
2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	3.34%	[4]
2012	rr_AnnualReturn2012	13.68%	[4]
Year to Date Return, Label	rr_YearToDateReturnLabel	year-to-date total return
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2013
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn	(0.99%)
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	highest
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Jun. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	22.45%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	lowest
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(8.60%)
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	8.82%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	7.36%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	6.33%
Nuveen Strategic Income Fund | Class B
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	5.00%	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	15	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.54%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	1.00%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.11%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets	0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.66%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.06%)	[3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.60%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	663
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	818
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	997
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,760
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	163
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	518
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	897
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,760
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	7.89%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	7.27%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	5.98%
Nuveen Strategic Income Fund | Class C
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	1.00%	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	15	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.54%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	1.00%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.11%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets	0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.66%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.06%)	[3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.60%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	163
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	518
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	897
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,960
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	163
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	518
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	897
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,960
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	12.90%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	7.46%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	5.99%
Nuveen Strategic Income Fund | Class R3
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	none	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.54%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.50%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.11%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets	0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.16%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.06%)	[3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.10%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	112
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	363
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	633
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,404
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	112
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	363
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	633
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,404
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	13.33%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	7.91%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	6.54%
Nuveen Strategic Income Fund | Class I
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	15	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.54%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.11%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets	0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.66%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.06%)	[3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.60%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	61
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	205
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	362
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	817
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	61
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	205
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	362
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	$ 817
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	14.04%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	8.52%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	7.05%
Nuveen Strategic Income Fund | (return after taxes on distributions) | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	7.27%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	5.32%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.51%
Nuveen Strategic Income Fund | (return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares) | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	5.68%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	5.04%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.32%
Nuveen Strategic Income Fund | Barclays Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	4.21%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	5.95%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	5.18%
Nuveen Strategic Income Fund | Lipper Multi-Sector Income Classification Average (reflects no deduction for taxes or sales loads)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	11.21%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	7.02%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	7.39%

[1] The contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") on Class B shares declines over a six-year period from purchase. The CDSC on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.

[2] Fee applies to the following types of accounts under $1,000 held directly with the Fund: individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and accounts established pursuant to the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA).

[3] The Fund's investment adviser has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse other Fund expenses through October 31, 2014 so that total annual fund operating expenses, after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements and excluding Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, do not exceed 0.84%, 1.59%, 1.59%, 1.09%, and 0.59% for Class A, Class B, Class C, Class R3 and Class I shares, respectively. Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will not be terminated prior to that time without the approval of the Fund's board of directors.

[4] Class A year-to-date total return as of September 30, 2013 was -0.99%.

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Nuveen Inflation Protected Securities Fund

Nuveen Inflation Protected Securities Fund

Investment Objective

The investment objective of the Fund is to provide investors with total return while providing protection against inflation.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts, as well as eligibility requirements for each share class, is available from your financial advisor and in “What Share Classes We Offer” on page 53 of the Fund’s prospectus, “How to Reduce Your Sales Charge” on page 56 of the prospectus and “Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares” on page S-97 of the Fund’s statement of additional information.

Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees Nuveen Inflation Protected Securities Fund (USD $)		Class A	Class C	Class R3	Class I
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)		4.25%	none	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	[1]	none	1.00%	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends		none	none	none	none
Exchange Fee		none	none	none	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	[2]	15	15	none	15

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses Nuveen Inflation Protected Securities Fund	Class A	Class C	Class R3	Class I
Management Fees	0.42%	0.42%	0.42%	0.42%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	0.25%	1.00%	0.50%	none
Other Expenses	0.14%	0.14%	0.14%	0.14%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	0.81%	1.56%	1.06%	0.56%

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then either redeem or do not redeem your shares at the end of a period. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Redemption

Expense Example Nuveen Inflation Protected Securities Fund (USD $)	A	C	R3	I
1 Year	504	159	108	57
3 Years	673	493	337	179
5 Years	856	850	585	313
10 Years	1,384	1,856	1,294	701

No Redemption

Expense Example, No Redemption Nuveen Inflation Protected Securities Fund (USD $)	A	C	R3	I
1 Year	504	159	108	57
3 Years	673	493	337	179
5 Years	856	850	585	313
10 Years	1,384	1,856	1,294	701

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 52% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of the sum of its net assets and the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in inflation protected debt securities. These securities will be issued by the U.S. and non-U.S. governments, their agencies and instrumentalities, and domestic and foreign corporations. The Fund’s investments in U.S. Government inflation protected securities will include U.S. Treasury inflation protected securities as well as inflation protected securities issued by agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. Government. Securities issued by the U.S. Treasury are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. Some securities issued by agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. Government are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency or instrumentality.

Inflation protected debt securities are designed to provide protection against the negative effects of inflation. Unlike traditional debt securities, which pay regular fixed interest payments on a fixed principal amount, interest payments on inflation protected debt securities will vary with the rate of inflation. The U.S. Treasury uses the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (CPI-U) as the inflation measure. Inflation protected debt securities issued by foreign governments and corporations are generally linked to a non-U.S. inflation rate.

Inflation protected debt securities have two common structures. The U.S. Treasury and some other issuers use a structure that accrues inflation into the principal value of the bond. If the index measuring the rate of inflation rises, the principal value of the security will increase. Because interest payments will be calculated with respect to a larger principal amount, interest payments also will increase. Conversely, if the index measuring the rate of inflation falls, the principal value of the security will fall and interest payments will decrease. Other issuers adjust the interest rates payable on the security according to the rate of inflation, but the principal amount remains the same.

In the event of sustained deflation, the U.S. Treasury has guaranteed that it will repay at maturity at least the original face value of the inflation protected securities that it issues. Other inflation protected debt securities that accrue inflation into their principal value may or may not provide a similar guarantee. For securities that do not provide such a guarantee, the adjusted principal value of the security repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal value.

Up to 20% of the Fund’s assets may be invested in holdings that are not inflation protected, which may include:

• domestic and foreign corporate debt obligations;

• securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies and instrumentalities;

• debt obligations of foreign governments;

• residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities;

• asset-backed securities; and

• derivative instruments, as discussed below.

When selecting securities for the Fund, the Fund’s sub-adviser uses a “top-down” approach, looking first at general economic factors and market conditions. The sub-adviser then selects securities that it believes have strong relative value based on an analysis of a security’s characteristics (such as principal value, coupon rate, maturity, duration and yield) in light of these general economic factors and market conditions. The sub-adviser will sell securities if the securities no longer meet these criteria, if other investments appear to be a better relative value, to manage the duration of the Fund, or to meet redemption requests.

Up to 10% of the Fund’s net assets may be invested in securities that are rated lower than investment grade at the time of purchase or that are unrated and of comparable quality (securities commonly referred to as “high-yield” securities or “junk bonds”). The Fund will not invest in securities rated lower than B at the time of purchase or in unrated securities of comparable quality as determined by the Fund’s sub-adviser. If the rating of a security is reduced or the credit quality of an unrated security declines after purchase, the Fund is not required to sell the security, but may consider doing so.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in non-U.S. dollar denominated securities, and may invest without limitation in U.S. dollar denominated securities of foreign corporations and governments.

The Fund may invest in debt securities of any maturity, but expects to maintain, under normal market conditions, a weighted average effective maturity of between eight and fifteen years and an average effective duration of between four and ten years. The Fund’s weighted average effective maturity and average effective duration are measures of how the Fund may react to interest rate changes.

The Fund may utilize the following derivatives: options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; foreign currency contracts; options on foreign currencies; interest rate caps, collars, and floors; index- and other asset-linked notes; swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, currency rates, security indexes and specific securities, and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements. The Fund may enter into standardized derivatives contracts traded on domestic or foreign securities exchanges, boards of trade, or similar entities, and non-standardized derivatives contracts traded in the over-the-counter market. The Fund may use these derivatives in an attempt to manage market risk, currency risk, credit risk and yield curve risk, to manage the effective maturity or duration of securities in the Fund’s portfolio or for speculative purposes in an effort to increase the Fund’s yield or to enhance returns. The Fund may also use derivatives to gain exposure to non-dollar denominated securities markets to the extent it does not do so through direct investments. The use of a derivative is speculative if the Fund is primarily seeking to enhance returns, rather than offset the risk of other positions. The Fund may not use any derivative to gain exposure to a security or type of security that it would be prohibited by its investment restrictions from purchasing directly.

Principal Risks

The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, listed alphabetically, include:

Call Risk—If an issuer calls higher-yielding debt instruments held by the Fund, performance could be adversely impacted.

Credit Risk—Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security may be unable or unwilling to make interest and principal payments when due and the related risk that the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the issuer’s ability or willingness to make such payments.

Currency Risk—Changes in currency exchange rates will affect the value of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities, interest earned from such securities, gains and losses realized on the sale of such securities, and derivative transactions tied to such securities. A strong U.S. dollar relative to these other currencies will adversely affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio.

Derivatives Risk—The use of options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; foreign currency contracts; options on foreign currencies; interest rate caps, collars, and floors; index- and other asset-linked notes; swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, currency rates, security indexes and specific securities, and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements involves additional risks and transaction costs which could leave the Fund in a worse position than if it had not used these instruments. Derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest. As a result, a small investment in derivatives can result in losses that greatly exceed the original investment. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value. A derivative transaction also involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the contract to make required payments.

High Yield Securities Risk—High yield securities, which are rated below investment grade and commonly referred to as “junk” bonds, are high risk investments that may cause income and principal losses for the Fund. They generally have greater credit risk, are less liquid and have more volatile prices than investment grade securities.

Income Risk—The Fund’s income could decline during periods of falling interest rates. In addition, because the interest and/or principal payments on inflation protected securities are adjusted periodically for changes in inflation, the income distributed by the Fund may be irregular. In a period of sustained deflation, the inflation protected securities held by the Fund, and consequently the Fund itself, may not pay any income.

Index Methodology Risk—There can be no assurance that the U.S. or any foreign inflation index will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services.

Inflation Risk—If the rate of inflation falls, the principal value of and/or interest payments on inflation protected debt securities held by the Fund will decrease.

Interest Rate Risk—Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Fund’s portfolio will decline because of rising interest rates. Inflation protected securities may react differently from other debt securities to changes in interest rates. Generally, the value of an inflation protected security is affected by changes in “real” interest rates, which are stated interest rates reduced by the expected impact of inflation. Values of these securities normally fall when real interest rates rise and rise when real interest rates fall.

Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risk—These securities generally can be prepaid at any time, and prepayments that occur either more quickly or more slowly than expected can adversely impact the value of such securities. They are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that rising interest rates could cause mortgages or other obligations underlying the securities to be prepaid more slowly than expected, thereby lengthening the duration of such securities, increasing their sensitivity to interest rate changes and causing their prices to decline. A mortgage-backed security may be negatively affected by the quality of the mortgages underlying such security, the credit quality of its issuer or guarantor, and the nature and structure of its credit support.

Non-U.S./Emerging Markets Risk—Non-U.S. issuers or U.S. issuers with significant non-U.S. operations may be subject to risks in addition to those of issuers located in or that principally operate in the United States as a result of, among other things, political, social and economic developments abroad and different legal, regulatory and tax environments. These additional risks may be heightened for securities of issuers located in, or with significant operations in, emerging market countries.

Tax Consequences of Inflation Adjustments—Because inflation adjustments to the principal amount of an inflation protected security will be included in the Fund’s income, the Fund may have to make income distributions to shareholders that exceed the cash it receives.

Fund Performance

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the potential risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at www.nuveen.com/performance or by calling (800) 257-8787.

The bar chart below shows the variability of the Fund’s performance from year to year for Class A shares. The performance of the other share classes will differ due to their different expense structures. The bar chart and highest/lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.

Class A Annual Total Return

During the eight-year period ended December 31, 2012, the Fund’s highest and lowest quarterly returns were 5.25% and -4.18%, respectively, for the quarters ended March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2008.

The table below shows the variability of the Fund’s average annual returns and how they compare over the time periods indicated with those of a broad measure of market performance and an index of funds with similar investment objectives. All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans.

Both the bar chart and the table assume that all distributions have been reinvested. Performance reflects fee waivers, if any, in effect during the periods presented. If any such waivers were not in place, returns would be reduced.

Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended
December 31, 2012

Average Annual Total Returns Nuveen Inflation Protected Securities Fund	Inception Date	1 Year	5 Years	Since Inception
Class A	Oct. 01, 2004	1.88%	5.90%	5.27%
Class A (return after taxes on distributions)	Oct. 01, 2004	1.19%	4.83%	4.01%
Class A (return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares)	Oct. 01, 2004	1.21%	4.42%	3.75%
Class C	Oct. 01, 2004	5.82%	6.05%	5.04%
Class R3	Oct. 01, 2004	6.16%	6.41%	5.50%
Class I	Oct. 01, 2004	6.84%	7.09%	6.09%
Barclays U.S. TIPs Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)		6.98%	7.04%	6.41%
Lipper Inflation Protected Bond Classification Average (reflects no deduction for taxes or sales loads)		6.52%	6.01%	5.82%

[1] The contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.

[2] Fee applies to the following types of accounts under $1,000 held directly with the Fund: individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and accounts established pursuant to the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA).

[1] Class A year-to-date total return as of September 30, 2013 was -6.60%.

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Nuveen Intermediate Government Bond Fund

Nuveen Intermediate Government Bond Fund

Investment Objective

The investment objective of the Fund is to provide investors with current income to the extent consistent with the preservation of capital.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts, as well as eligibility requirements for each share class, is available from your financial advisor and in “What Share Classes We Offer” on page 53 of the Fund’s prospectus, “How to Reduce Your Sales Charge” on page 56 of the prospectus and “Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares” on page S-97 of the Fund’s statement of additional information.

Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees Nuveen Intermediate Government Bond Fund (USD $)		Class A	Class C	Class R3	Class I
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)		3.00%	none	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	[1]	none	1.00%	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends		none	none	none	none
Exchange Fee		none	none	none	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	[2]	15	15	none	15

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses Nuveen Intermediate Government Bond Fund		Class A	Class C	Class R3	Class I
Management Fees		0.47%	0.47%	0.47%	0.47%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees		0.25%	1.00%	0.50%	none
Other Expenses		0.29%	0.29%	0.29%	0.29%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		1.01%	1.76%	1.26%	0.76%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	[1]	(0.16%)	(0.16%)	(0.16%)	(0.16%)
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements		0.85%	1.60%	1.10%	0.60%

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then either redeem or do not redeem your shares at the end of a period. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same, and the contractual fee waivers currently in place are not renewed beyond October 31, 2014. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Redemption

Expense Example Nuveen Intermediate Government Bond Fund (USD $)	A	C	R3	I
1 Year	384	163	112	61
3 Years	596	539	384	227
5 Years	826	939	676	407
10 Years	1,485	2,060	1,509	927

No Redemption

Expense Example, No Redemption Nuveen Intermediate Government Bond Fund (USD $)	A	C	R3	I
1 Year	384	163	112	61
3 Years	596	539	384	227
5 Years	826	939	676	407
10 Years	1,485	2,060	1,509	927

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 55% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of the sum of its net assets and the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in U.S. Government bonds. U.S. Government bonds are securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities, including:

• U.S. Treasury obligations;

• Mortgage-backed securities issued by the Government National Mortgage Association, the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC); and

• Non-mortgage-related obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities, such as FNMA, FHLMC, Federal Farm Credit Banks, the Federal Home Loan Bank System, and the Tennessee Valley Authority, including obligations that are issued by private issuers and guaranteed under the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program.

U.S. Treasury obligations and some obligations of U.S. Government agencies and instrumentalities are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. Other U.S. Government securities are backed by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury. Still others are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency or instrumentality.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets, collectively, in non-U.S. Government debt obligations, asset-backed securities, residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities, corporate debt obligations, and municipal securities. Such securities will be rated investment grade at the time of purchase or, if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality by the Fund’s sub-adviser. If the rating of a security is reduced or the credit quality of an unrated security declines after purchase, the Fund is not required to sell the security, but may consider doing so.

In selecting securities for the Fund, the Fund’s sub-adviser first determines its economic outlook and the direction in which inflation and interest rates are expected to move. In selecting individual securities consistent with this outlook, the sub-adviser evaluates factors such as credit quality, yield, maturity, liquidity, and portfolio diversification.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund attempts to maintain a weighted average effective maturity between three and ten years and an effective duration of between two and one-half and seven years. The Fund’s weighted average effective maturity and effective duration are measures of how the value of the Fund’s shares may react to interest rate changes.

To generate additional income, the Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in dollar roll transactions. In a dollar roll transaction, the Fund sells mortgage-backed securities for delivery in the current month while contracting with the same party to repurchase similar securities at a future date.

The Fund may utilize the following derivatives: futures contracts; options on futures contracts, swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, security indexes and specific securities and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements. The Fund may enter into standardized derivatives contracts that are traded on domestic securities exchanges, boards of trade, or similar entities and non-standardized derivatives contracts traded in the over-the-counter market. The Fund may use these derivatives in an attempt to manage market risk, credit risk and yield curve risk, to manage the effective maturity or duration of securities in the Fund’s portfolio, or for speculative purposes in an effort to increase the Fund’s yield or to enhance returns. The use of a derivative is speculative if the Fund is primarily seeking to enhance returns, rather than offset the risk of other positions. The Fund may not use derivatives to gain exposure to a security or type of security that it would be prohibited by its investment restrictions from purchasing directly.

Principal Risks

The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, listed alphabetically, include:

Call Risk—If an issuer calls higher-yielding debt instruments held by the Fund, performance could be adversely impacted.

Credit Risk—Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security may be unable or unwilling to make interest and principal payments when due and the related risk that the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the issuer’s ability or willingness to make such payments.

Derivatives Risk—The use of futures contracts; options on futures contracts, swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, security indexes and specific securities and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements involves additional risks and transaction costs which could leave the Fund in a worse position than if it had not used these instruments. Derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest. As a result, a small investment in derivatives can result in losses that greatly exceed the original investment. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value. A derivative transaction also involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the contract to make required payments.

Dollar Roll Transaction Risk—The use of dollar rolls can increase the volatility of the Fund’s share price, and it may have an adverse impact on performance unless the sub-adviser correctly predicts mortgage prepayments and interest rates.

Income Risk—The Fund’s income could decline during periods of falling interest rates.

Interest Rate Risk—Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Fund’s portfolio will decline because of rising interest rates. When interest rates change, the values of longer-duration debt securities usually change more than the values of shorter-duration debt securities.

Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risk—These securities generally can be prepaid at any time, and prepayments that occur either more quickly or more slowly than expected can adversely impact the value of such securities. They are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that rising interest rates could cause mortgages or other obligations underlying the securities to be prepaid more slowly than expected, thereby lengthening the duration of such securities, increasing their sensitivity to interest rate changes and causing their prices to decline. A mortgage-backed security may be negatively affected by the quality of the mortgages underlying such security, the credit quality of its issuer or guarantor, and the nature and structure of its credit support.

Fund Performance

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the potential risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at www.nuveen.com/performance or by calling (800) 257-8787.

The bar chart below shows the variability of the Fund’s performance from year to year for Class A shares. The performance of the other share classes will differ due to their different expense structures. The bar chart and highest/ lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.

Class A Annual Total Return

During the ten-year period ended December 31, 2012, the Fund’s highest and lowest quarterly returns were 5.92% and -2.41%, respectively, for the quarters ended December 31, 2008 and June 30, 2004.

The table below shows the variability of the Fund’s average annual returns and how they compare over the time periods indicated with those of a broad measure of market performance and an index of funds with similar investment objectives. All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans.

Both the bar chart and the table assume that all distributions have been reinvested. Performance reflects fee waivers, if any, in effect during the periods presented. If any such waivers were not in place, returns would be reduced.

Effective August 31, 2009, the Fund’s investment objective was changed from providing “current income that is exempt from state income tax” to providing “current income,” in each case to the extent consistent with preservation of capital. As of the same date, the Fund’s investment strategies were significantly broadened, consistent with this new investment objective. As a result, the performance information presented below reflects the performance of an investment portfolio that, prior to August 31, 2009, differed materially from the Fund’s portfolio thereafter.

Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended
December 31, 2012

Average Annual Total Returns Nuveen Intermediate Government Bond Fund	Inception Date	1 Year	5 Years	10 Years	Since Inception
Class A	Oct. 25, 2002	(1.01%)	3.57%	3.33%
Class A (return after taxes on distributions)	Oct. 25, 2002	(1.72%)	2.61%	1.96%
Class A (return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares)	Oct. 25, 2002	(0.66%)	2.50%	2.10%
Class C	Oct. 28, 2009	1.24%			2.85%
Class R3	Oct. 28, 2009	1.78%			3.31%
Class I	Oct. 25, 2002	2.25%	4.36%	3.80%
Barclays Intermediate Government Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)		1.73%	4.51%	4.10%	3.84%
Lipper Intermediate U.S. Government Classification Average (reflects no deduction for taxes or sales loads)		2.47%	4.84%	4.01%	4.27%

[1] The contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.

[2] Fee applies to the following types of accounts under $1,000 held directly with the Fund: individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and accounts established pursuant to the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA).

[1] The Fund's investment adviser has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse other Fund expenses through October 31, 2014 so that total annual fund operating expenses, after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements and excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, do not exceed 0.85%, 1.60%, 1.10%, and 0.60% for Class A, Class C, Class R3, and Class I shares, respectively. Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will not be terminated prior to that time without the approval of the Fund's board of directors.

[1] Class A year-to-date total return as of September 30, 2013 was -1.20%.

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	NUVEEN INVESTMENT FUNDS INC
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Oct. 31, 2013
Nuveen Short Term Bond Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	Nuveen Short Term Bond Fund
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	The investment objective of the Fund is to provide investors with current income while maintaining a high degree of principal stability.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	Fees and Expenses of the Fund
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts, as well as eligibility requirements for each share class, is available from your financial advisor and in “What Share Classes We Offer” on page 53 of the Fund’s prospectus, “How to Reduce Your Sales Charge” on page 56 of the prospectus and “Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares” on page S-97 of the Fund’s statement of additional information.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination	October 31, 2014
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock	The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 42% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	42.00%
Expenses Deferred Charges [Text Block]	rr_ExpensesDeferredChargesTextBlock	The contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.
Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts	You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds.
Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount	$ 50,000
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then either redeem or do not redeem your shares at the end of a period. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same and the contractual fee waivers currently in place are not renewed beyond October 31, 2014. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Expense Example by, Year, Caption [Text]	rr_ExpenseExampleByYearCaption	Redemption
Expense Example, No Redemption, By Year, Caption [Text]	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionByYearCaption	No Redemption
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of the sum of its net assets and the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in bonds, such as: U.S. government securities, which are securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities; residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities; asset-backed securities; corporate debt obligations, including obligations issued by special-purpose entities that are backed by corporate debt obligations; and municipal securities. Up to 20% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in securities rated lower than investment grade or unrated securities of comparable quality as determined by the Fund’s sub-adviser (securities commonly referred to as “high yield” or “junk bonds”). The Fund will not invest in securities rated lower than CCC at the time of purchase or in unrated securities of comparable quality as determined by the Fund’s sub-adviser. If the rating of a security is reduced or the credit quality of an unrated security declines after purchase, the Fund is not required to sell the security, but may consider doing so. Unrated securities will not exceed 5% of the Fund’s total assets. The Fund may invest up to 35% of its total assets in debt obligations of foreign corporations and foreign governments. However, no more than 10% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in debt obligations of corporations and governments that are located in emerging market countries. A country is considered to have an “emerging market” if it has a relatively low gross national product per capita compared to the world’s major economies, and the potential for rapid economic growth, provided that no issuer included in the Fund’s current benchmark index will be considered to be located in an emerging market country. Up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets may have non-U.S. dollar currency exposure from non-U.S. dollar denominated securities and currency derivatives, calculated on an absolute notional basis (i.e., adding together the absolute value of net long and net short exposures to individual non-U.S. dollar currencies). The Fund’s sub-adviser selects securities using a “top-down” approach which begins with the formulation of the sub-adviser’s general economic outlook. Following this, various sectors and industries are analyzed and selected for investment. Finally, the sub-adviser selects individual securities within these sectors or industries. Under normal market conditions, the Fund attempts to maintain a weighted average effective maturity and an average effective duration for its portfolio securities of one to three years. The Fund’s weighted average effective maturity and effective duration are measures of how the value of the Fund’s shares may react to interest rate changes. The Fund may utilize the following derivatives: options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; interest rate caps, collars, and floors; foreign currency contracts; options on foreign currencies; swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, currency rates, security indexes and specific securities, and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements. The Fund may enter into standardized derivatives contracts traded on domestic or foreign securities exchanges, boards of trade, or similar entities, and non-standardized derivatives contracts traded in the over-the-counter market. The Fund may use these derivatives in an attempt to manage market risk, currency risk, credit risk and yield curve risk, to manage the effective maturity or duration of securities in the Fund’s portfolio or for speculative purposes in an effort to increase the Fund’s yield or to enhance returns. The Fund may also use derivatives to gain exposure to non-dollar denominated securities markets to the extent it does not do so through direct investments. The use of a derivative is speculative if the Fund is primarily seeking to enhance returns, rather than offset the risk of other positions. The Fund may not use any derivative to gain exposure to a security or type of security that it would be prohibited by its investment restrictions from purchasing directly.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, listed alphabetically, include: Call Risk—If an issuer calls higher-yielding debt instruments held by the Fund, performance could be adversely impacted. Credit Risk—Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security may be unable or unwilling to make interest and principal payments when due and the related risk that the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the issuer’s ability or willingness to make such payments. Currency Risk—Changes in currency exchange rates will affect the value of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities, interest earned from such securities, gains and losses realized on the sale of such securities, and derivative transactions tied to such securities. A strong U.S. dollar relative to these other currencies will adversely affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio. Derivatives Risk—The use of options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; interest rate caps, collars, and floors; foreign currency contracts; options on foreign currencies; swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, currency rates, security indexes and specific securities, and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements involves additional risks and transaction costs which could leave the Fund in a worse position than if it had not used these instruments. Derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest. As a result, a small investment in derivatives can result in losses that greatly exceed the original investment. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value. A derivative transaction also involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the contract to make required payments. High Yield Securities Risk—High yield securities, which are rated below investment grade and commonly referred to as “junk” bonds, are high risk investments that may cause income and principal losses for the Fund. They generally have greater credit risk, are less liquid and have more volatile prices than investment grade securities. Income Risk—The Fund’s income could decline during periods of falling interest rates. Interest Rate Risk—Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Fund’s portfolio will decline because of rising interest rates. When interest rates change, the values of longer-duration debt securities usually change more than the values of shorter-duration debt securities. Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risk—These securities generally can be prepaid at any time, and prepayments that occur either more quickly or more slowly than expected can adversely impact the value of such securities. They are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that rising interest rates could cause mortgages or other obligations underlying the securities to be prepaid more slowly than expected, thereby lengthening the duration of such securities, increasing their sensitivity to interest rate changes and causing their prices to decline. A mortgage-backed security may be negatively affected by the quality of the mortgages underlying such security, the credit quality of its issuer or guarantor, and the nature and structure of its credit support. Non-U.S./Emerging Markets Risk—Non-U.S. issuers or U.S. issuers with significant non-U.S. operations may be subject to risks in addition to those of issuers located in or that principally operate in the United States as a result of, among other things, political, social and economic developments abroad and different legal, regulatory and tax environments. These additional risks may be heightened for securities of issuers located in, or with significant operations in, emerging market countries.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund.
Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Text]	rr_RiskNotInsuredDepositoryInstitution	An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	Fund Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the potential risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at www.nuveen.com/performance or by calling (800) 257-8787.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The bar chart below shows the variability of the Fund’s performance from year to year for Class A shares.
Performance Availability Phone [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone	(800) 257-8787
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.nuveen.com/performance
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	Class A Annual Total Return
Bar Chart Narrative [Text Block]	rr_BarChartNarrativeTextBlock	The bar chart below shows the variability of the Fund’s performance from year to year for Class A shares. The performance of the other share classes will differ due to their different expense structures. The bar chart and highest/lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	The bar chart and highest/lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	During the ten-year period ended December 31, 2012, the Fund’s highest and lowest quarterly returns were 5.45% and -3.37%, respectively, for the quarters ended June 30, 2009 and December 31, 2008.
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2012
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate	rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate	All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred	rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred	After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans.
Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]	rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown	After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	The table below shows the variability of the Fund’s average annual returns and how they compare over the time periods indicated with those of a broad measure of market performance and an index of funds with similar investment objectives. All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans. Both the bar chart and the table assume that all distributions have been reinvested. Performance reflects fee waivers, if any, in effect during the periods presented. If any such waivers were not in place, returns would be reduced.
Nuveen Short Term Bond Fund | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	2.25%
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	15	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.39%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.25%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.09%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.73%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.02%)	[3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.71%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	296
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	451
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	620
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,109
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	296
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	451
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	620
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,109
2003	rr_AnnualReturn2003	1.85%	[4]
2004	rr_AnnualReturn2004	0.96%	[4]
2005	rr_AnnualReturn2005	1.43%	[4]
2006	rr_AnnualReturn2006	3.89%	[4]
2007	rr_AnnualReturn2007	5.64%	[4]
2008	rr_AnnualReturn2008	(4.44%)	[4]
2009	rr_AnnualReturn2009	12.80%	[4]
2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	3.33%	[4]
2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	0.48%	[4]
2012	rr_AnnualReturn2012	4.73%	[4]
Year to Date Return, Label	rr_YearToDateReturnLabel	year-to-date total return
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2013
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn	0.86%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	highest
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Jun. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	5.45%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	lowest
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Dec. 31, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(3.37%)
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	2.34%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	2.76%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	2.75%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Dec. 14, 1992
Nuveen Short Term Bond Fund | Class C
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	1.00%	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	15	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.39%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	1.00%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.09%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.48%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.02%)	[3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.46%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	149
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	466
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	806
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,767
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	149
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	466
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	806
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,767
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	3.91%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	2.03%
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Oct. 28, 2009
Nuveen Short Term Bond Fund | Class R3
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	none	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.39%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.50%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.09%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.98%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.02%)	[3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.96%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	98
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	310
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	540
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,200
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	98
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	310
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	540
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,200
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	4.52%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	3.93%
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Sep. 22, 2011
Nuveen Short Term Bond Fund | Class I
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	15	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.39%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.09%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.48%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.02%)	[3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.46%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	47
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	152
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	267
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	602
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	47
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	152
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	267
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	$ 602
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	4.96%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	3.40%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	3.15%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Feb. 04, 1994
Nuveen Short Term Bond Fund | (return after taxes on distributions) | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	1.48%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	1.63%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	1.62%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Dec. 14, 1992
Nuveen Short Term Bond Fund | (return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares) | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	1.51%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	1.69%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	1.67%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Dec. 14, 1992
Nuveen Short Term Bond Fund | Barclays 1-3 Year Government/Credit Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	1.26%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	2.88%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	3.13%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	1.81%
Nuveen Short Term Bond Fund | Lipper Short Investment Grade Debt Classification Average (reflects no deduction for taxes or sales loads)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	3.57%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	2.84%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	2.98%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	2.92%

[1] The contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.

[2] Fee applies to the following types of accounts under $1,000 held directly with the Fund: individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and accounts established pursuant to the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA).

[3] The Fund's investment adviser has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse other Fund expenses through October 31, 2014 so that total annual fund operating expenses, after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements and excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, do not exceed 0.72%, 1.47%, 0.97% and 0.47% for Class A, Class C, Class R3 and Class I shares, respectively. Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will not be terminated prior to that time without the approval of the Fund's board of directors.

[4] Class A year-to-date total return as of September 30, 2013 was 0.86%.

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	NUVEEN INVESTMENT FUNDS INC
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Oct. 31, 2013
Nuveen High Income Bond Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	Nuveen High Income Bond Fund
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	The investment objective of the Fund is to provide investors with a high level of current income.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	Fees and Expenses of the Fund
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts, as well as eligibility requirements for each share class, is available from your financial advisor and in “What Share Classes We Offer” on page 53 of the Fund’s prospectus, “How to Reduce Your Sales Charge” on page 56 of the prospectus and “Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares” on page S-97 of the Fund’s statement of additional information.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock	The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 133% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	133.00%
Expenses Deferred Charges [Text Block]	rr_ExpensesDeferredChargesTextBlock	The contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") on Class B shares declines over a six-year period from purchase. The CDSC on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.
Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts	You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds.
Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount	$ 50,000
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then either redeem or do not redeem your shares at the end of a period. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Expense Example by, Year, Caption [Text]	rr_ExpenseExampleByYearCaption	Redemption
Expense Example, No Redemption, By Year, Caption [Text]	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionByYearCaption	No Redemption
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of the sum of its net assets and the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in bonds rated lower than investment grade at the time of purchase or in unrated bonds of comparable quality (securities commonly referred to as “high-yield” securities or “junk bonds”). These bonds generally provide high income in an effort to compensate investors for their higher risk of default, which is the failure to make required interest or principal payments. High-yield bond issuers include small or relatively new companies lacking the history or capital to merit investment-grade status, former blue chip companies downgraded because of financial problems, companies electing to borrow heavily to finance or avoid a takeover or buyout, and firms with heavy debt loads. The Fund may invest in exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, and other investment companies (“investment companies”). The Fund’s sub-adviser employs a bottom up approach to investing. The sub-adviser devotes more resources to evaluating individual securities rather than assessing macro-economic trends. Securities are selected using fundamental credit research to identify relative value in the market. Positions are sold in anticipation of credit deterioration or when a security is priced expensively relative to other comparable investments. There is no minimum rating requirement and no limitation on the average maturity or average effective duration of securities held by the Fund. The Fund may invest without limitation in debt obligations of foreign corporations and governments, provided that no more than 20% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in debt obligations issued by governmental and corporate issuers that are located in emerging market countries. A country is considered to have an “emerging market” if it has a relatively low gross national product per capita compared to the world’s major economies, and the potential for rapid economic growth, provided that no issuer included in the Fund’s current benchmark index will be considered to be located in an emerging market country. The Fund may utilize the following derivatives: options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; foreign currency contracts; options on foreign currencies; swap agreements, including interest rate swaps, currency swaps, total return swaps and credit default swaps; and options on swap agreements. The Fund may use these derivatives in an attempt to manage market risk, currency risk, credit risk and yield curve risk, to manage the effective maturity or duration of securities in the Fund’s portfolio or for speculative purposes in an effort to increase the Fund’s yield or to enhance returns. The use of a derivative is speculative if the Fund is primarily seeking to enhance returns, rather than offset the risk of other positions.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, listed alphabetically, include: Call Risk—If an issuer calls higher-yielding debt instruments held by the Fund, performance could be adversely impacted. Credit Risk—Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security may be unable or unwilling to make interest and principal payments when due and the related risk that the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the issuer’s ability or willingness to make such payments. Currency Risk—Changes in currency exchange rates will affect the value of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities, interest earned from such securities, gains and losses realized on the sale of such securities, and derivative transactions tied to such securities. A strong U.S. dollar relative to these other currencies will adversely affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio. Derivatives Risk—The use of options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; foreign currency contracts; options on foreign currencies; swap agreements, including interest rate swaps, currency swaps, total return swaps and credit default swaps; and options on swap agreements involves additional risks and transaction costs which could leave the Fund in a worse position than if it had not used these instruments. Derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest. As a result, a small investment in derivatives can result in losses that greatly exceed the original investment. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value. A derivative transaction also involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the contract to make required payments. High Yield Securities Risk—High yield securities, which are rated below investment grade and commonly referred to as “junk” bonds, are high risk investments that may cause income and principal losses for the Fund. They generally have greater credit risk, are less liquid and have more volatile prices than investment grade securities. Income Risk—The Fund’s income could decline during periods of falling interest rates. Interest Rate Risk—Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Fund’s portfolio will decline because of rising interest rates. When interest rates change, the values of longer-duration debt securities usually change more than the values of shorter-duration debt securities. Non-U.S./Emerging Markets Risk—Non-U.S. issuers or U.S. issuers with significant non-U.S. operations may be subject to risks in addition to those of issuers located in or that principally operate in the United States as a result of, among other things, political, social and economic developments abroad and different legal, regulatory and tax environments. These additional risks may be heightened for securities of issuers located in, or with significant operations in, emerging market countries. Other Investment Companies Risk—When the Fund invests in other investment companies, you bear both your proportionate share of Fund expenses and, indirectly, the expenses of the other investment companies. Furthermore, the Fund is exposed to the risks to which the other investment companies may be subject.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund.
Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Text]	rr_RiskNotInsuredDepositoryInstitution	An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	Fund Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the potential risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at www.nuveen.com/performance or by calling (800) 257-8787.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The bar chart below shows the variability of the Fund’s performance from year to year for Class A shares.
Performance Availability Phone [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone	(800) 257-8787
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.nuveen.com/performance
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	Class A Annual Total Return
Bar Chart Narrative [Text Block]	rr_BarChartNarrativeTextBlock	The bar chart below shows the variability of the Fund’s performance from year to year for Class A shares. The performance of the other share classes will differ due to their different expense structures. The bar chart and highest/lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	The bar chart and highest/lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	During the ten-year period ended December 31, 2012, the Fund’s highest and lowest quarterly returns were 21.96% and -19.17%, respectively, for the quarters ended June 30, 2009 and December 31, 2008.
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2012
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate	rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate	All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred	rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred	After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans.
Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]	rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown	After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	The table below shows the variability of the Fund’s average annual returns and how they compare over the time periods indicated with those of a broad measure of market performance and an index of funds with similar investment objectives. All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans. Both the bar chart and the table assume that all distributions have been reinvested. Performance reflects fee waivers, if any, in effect during the periods presented. If any such waivers were not in place, returns would be reduced.
Nuveen High Income Bond Fund | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	4.75%
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	15	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.56%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.25%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.13%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets	0.03%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.97%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	569
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	769
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	986
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,608
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	569
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	769
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	986
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,608
2003	rr_AnnualReturn2003	24.03%	[3]
2004	rr_AnnualReturn2004	10.30%	[3]
2005	rr_AnnualReturn2005	2.89%	[3]
2006	rr_AnnualReturn2006	10.51%	[3]
2007	rr_AnnualReturn2007	1.63%	[3]
2008	rr_AnnualReturn2008	(29.11%)	[3]
2009	rr_AnnualReturn2009	56.92%	[3]
2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	15.35%	[3]
2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	0.97%	[3]
2012	rr_AnnualReturn2012	17.89%	[3]
Year to Date Return, Label	rr_YearToDateReturnLabel	year-to-date total return
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2013
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn	5.05%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	highest
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Jun. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	21.96%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	lowest
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Dec. 31, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(19.17%)
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	12.25%	[4]
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	7.78%	[4]
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	8.69%	[4]
Nuveen High Income Bond Fund | Class B
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	5.00%	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	15	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.56%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	1.00%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.14%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets	0.03%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.73%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	676
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	845
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	1,039
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,840
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	176
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	545
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	939
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,840
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	12.25%	[4]
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	7.95%	[4]
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	8.44%	[4]
Nuveen High Income Bond Fund | Class C
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	1.00%	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	15	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.56%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	1.00%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.14%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets	0.03%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.73%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	176
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	545
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	939
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	2,041
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	176
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	545
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	939
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	2,041
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	17.18%	[4]
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	8.13%	[4]
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	8.45%	[4]
Nuveen High Income Bond Fund | Class R3
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	none	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.56%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.50%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.13%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets	0.03%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.22%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	124
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	387
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	670
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,477
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	124
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	387
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	670
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,477
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	17.55%	[4]
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	8.61%	[4]
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	8.98%	[4]
Nuveen High Income Bond Fund | Class I
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	15	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.56%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.14%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets	0.03%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.73%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	75
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	233
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	406
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	906
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	75
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	233
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	406
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	$ 906
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	18.31%	[4]
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	9.16%	[4]
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	9.51%	[4]
Nuveen High Income Bond Fund | (return after taxes on distributions) | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	9.22%	[4]
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	4.70%	[4]
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	5.81%	[4]
Nuveen High Income Bond Fund | (return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares) | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	7.88%	[4]
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	4.75%	[4]
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	5.73%	[4]
Nuveen High Income Bond Fund | Barclays High Yield 2% Issuer Capped Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	15.78%	[4]
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	10.45%	[4]
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	10.60%	[4]
Nuveen High Income Bond Fund | Lipper High Yield Classification Average (reflects no deduction for taxes or sales loads)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	14.66%	[4]
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	8.01%	[4]
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	8.89%	[4]

[1] The contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") on Class B shares declines over a six-year period from purchase. The CDSC on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.

[2] Fee applies to the following types of accounts under $1,000 held directly with the Fund: individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and accounts established pursuant to the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA).

[3] Class A year-to-date total return as of September 30, 2013 was 5.05%.

[4] Performance presented prior to 3/14/03 represents that of First American High Yield Bond Fund, which merged into the Fund on that date.

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	NUVEEN INVESTMENT FUNDS INC
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Oct. 31, 2013
Nuveen Core Bond Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	Nuveen Core Bond Fund (formerly Nuveen Intermediate Term Bond Fund)
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	The investment objective of the Fund is to provide investors with current income to the extent consistent with preservation of capital.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	Fees and Expenses of the Fund
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts, as well as eligibility requirements for each share class, is available from your financial advisor and in “What Share Classes We Offer” on page 53 of the Fund’s prospectus, “How to Reduce Your Sales Charge” on page 56 of the prospectus and “Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares” on page S-97 of the Fund’s statement of additional information.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination	October 31, 2014
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock	The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 85% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	85.00%
Expenses Deferred Charges [Text Block]	rr_ExpensesDeferredChargesTextBlock	The contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.
Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts	You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds.
Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount	$ 50,000
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then either redeem or do not redeem your shares at the end of a period. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same, and the contractual fee waivers currently in place are not renewed beyond October 31, 2014. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Expense Example by, Year, Caption [Text]	rr_ExpenseExampleByYearCaption	Redemption
Expense Example, No Redemption, By Year, Caption [Text]	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionByYearCaption	No Redemption
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of the sum of its net assets and the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in bonds, such as: U.S. government securities (securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities), including zero coupon securities; residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities; asset-backed securities; and corporate debt obligations, including obligations issued by special-purpose entities that are backed by corporate debt obligations. Bonds in the Fund will be rated investment grade at the time of purchase or, if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality by the Fund’s sub-adviser. If the rating of a security is reduced or discounted after purchase, the Fund is not required to sell the security, but may consider doing so. At least 65% of the Fund’s debt securities must be either U.S. government securities or securities that are rated A or better or are unrated and of comparable quality as determined by the Fund’s sub-adviser. If the rating of a security is reduced or the credit quality of an unrated security declines after purchase, the Fund is not required to sell the security, but may consider doing so. Unrated securities will not exceed 25% of the Fund’s total assets. The Fund’s sub-adviser selects securities using a “top-down” approach, which begins with the formulation of the sub-adviser’s general economic outlook. Following this, various sectors and industries are analyzed and selected for investment. Finally, the sub-adviser selects individual securities within these sectors or industries. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in U.S. dollar denominated debt obligations of foreign corporations and governments. Under normal market conditions, the Fund attempts to maintain a weighted average effective maturity for its portfolio securities of three to ten years and an average effective duration of two to six years. The Fund’s weighted average effective maturity and effective duration are measures of how the value of the Fund’s shares may react to interest rate changes. To generate additional income, the Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in dollar roll transactions. In a dollar roll transaction, the Fund sells mortgage-backed securities for delivery in the current month while contracting with the same party to repurchase similar securities at a future date. The Fund may utilize the following derivatives: options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; interest rate caps, collars, and floors; swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, security indexes and specific securities, and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements. The Fund may enter into standardized derivatives contracts traded on domestic or foreign securities exchanges, boards of trade, or similar entities, and non-standardized derivatives contracts traded in the over-the-counter market. The Fund may use these derivatives in an attempt to manage market risk, credit risk and yield curve risk, to manage the effective maturity or duration of securities in the Fund’s portfolio or for speculative purposes in an effort to increase the Fund’s yield or to enhance returns. The use of a derivative is speculative if the Fund is primarily seeking to enhance returns, rather than offset the risk of other positions. The Fund may not use any derivative to gain exposure to a security or type of security that it would be prohibited by its investment restrictions from purchasing directly.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, listed alphabetically, include: Call Risk—If an issuer calls higher-yielding debt instruments held by the Fund, performance could be adversely impacted. Credit Risk—Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security may be unable or unwilling to make interest and principal payments when due and the related risk that the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the issuer’s ability or willingness to make such payments. Currency Risk—Changes in currency exchange rates will affect the value of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities, interest earned from such securities, gains and losses realized on the sale of such securities, and derivative transactions tied to such securities. A strong U.S. dollar relative to these other currencies will adversely affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio. Derivatives Risk—The use of options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; interest rate caps, collars, and floors; swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, security indexes and specific securities, and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements involves additional risks and transaction costs which could leave the Fund in a worse position than if it had not used these instruments. Derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest. As a result, a small investment in derivatives can result in losses that greatly exceed the original investment. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value. A derivative transaction also involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the contract to make required payments. Dollar Roll Transaction Risk—The use of dollar rolls can increase the volatility of the Fund’s share price, and it may have an adverse impact on performance unless the sub-adviser correctly predicts mortgage prepayments and interest rates. Income Risk—The Fund’s income could decline during periods of falling interest rates. Interest Rate Risk—Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Fund’s portfolio will decline because of rising interest rates. When interest rates change, the values of longer-duration debt securities usually change more than the values of shorter-duration debt securities. Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risk—These securities generally can be prepaid at any time, and prepayments that occur either more quickly or more slowly than expected can adversely impact the value of such securities. They are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that rising interest rates could cause mortgages or other obligations underlying the securities to be prepaid more slowly than expected, thereby lengthening the duration of such securities, increasing their sensitivity to interest rate changes and causing their prices to decline. A mortgage-backed security may be negatively affected by the quality of the mortgages underlying such security, the credit quality of its issuer or guarantor, and the nature and structure of its credit support. Non-U.S./Emerging Markets Risk—Non-U.S. issuers or U.S. issuers with significant non-U.S. operations may be subject to risks in addition to those of issuers located in or that principally operate in the United States as a result of, among other things, political, social and economic developments abroad and different legal, regulatory and tax environments. These additional risks may be heightened for securities of issuers located in, or with significant operations in, emerging market countries. Zero Coupon Bonds Risk—Because interest on zero coupon bonds is not paid on a current basis, the values of zero coupon bonds will be more volatile in response to interest rate changes than the values of bonds that distribute income regularly. Although zero coupon bonds generate income for accounting purposes, they do not produce cash flow, and thus the Fund could be forced to liquidate securities at an inopportune time in order to generate cash to distribute to shareholders as required by tax laws.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund.
Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Text]	rr_RiskNotInsuredDepositoryInstitution	An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	Fund Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the potential risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at www.nuveen.com/performance or by calling (800) 257-8787.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The bar chart below shows the variability of the Fund’s performance from year to year for Class A shares.
Performance Availability Phone [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone	(800) 257-8787
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.nuveen.com/performance
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	Class A Annual Total Return
Bar Chart Narrative [Text Block]	rr_BarChartNarrativeTextBlock	The bar chart below shows the variability of the Fund’s performance from year to year for Class A shares. The performance of the other share classes will differ due to their different expense structures. The bar chart and highest/ lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	The bar chart and highest/ lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	During the ten-year period ended December 31, 2012, the Fund’s highest and lowest quarterly returns were 9.70% and -5.11%, respectively, for the quarters ended June 30, 2009 and September 30, 2008.
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2012
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate	rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate	All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred	rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred	After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans.
Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]	rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown	After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	The table below shows the variability of the Fund’s average annual returns and how they compare over the time periods indicated with those of a broad measure of market performance and an index of funds with similar investment objectives. All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans. Both the bar chart and the table assume that all distributions have been reinvested. Performance reflects fee waivers, if any, in effect during the periods presented. If any such waivers were not in place, returns would be reduced.
Nuveen Core Bond Fund | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	3.00%
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	15	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.45%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.25%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.09%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets	0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.80%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.01%)	[3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.79%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	378
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	547
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	730
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,259
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	378
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	547
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	730
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,259
2003	rr_AnnualReturn2003	3.91%	[4]
2004	rr_AnnualReturn2004	2.67%	[4]
2005	rr_AnnualReturn2005	1.48%	[4]
2006	rr_AnnualReturn2006	3.68%	[4]
2007	rr_AnnualReturn2007	6.01%	[4]
2008	rr_AnnualReturn2008	(7.74%)	[4]
2009	rr_AnnualReturn2009	20.68%	[4]
2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	6.42%	[4]
2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	4.02%	[4]
2012	rr_AnnualReturn2012	6.51%	[4]
Year to Date Return, Label	rr_YearToDateReturnLabel	year-to-date total return
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2013
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn	(2.43%)
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	highest
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Jun. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	9.70%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	lowest
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(5.11%)
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	3.35%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	4.95%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.24%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Jan. 09, 1995
Nuveen Core Bond Fund | Class C
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	1.00%	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	15	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.45%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	1.00%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.09%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets	0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.55%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.01%)	[3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.54%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	157
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	489
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	844
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,845
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	157
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	489
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	844
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,845
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	5.68%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	4.36%
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Jan. 18, 2011
Nuveen Core Bond Fund | Class I
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	15	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.45%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.09%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets	0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.55%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.01%)	[3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.54%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	55
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	175
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	306
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	688
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	55
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	175
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	306
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	$ 688
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	6.82%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	5.77%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.73%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Jan. 05, 1993
Nuveen Core Bond Fund | (return after taxes on distributions) | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	2.04%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	3.48%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	2.80%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Jan. 09, 1995
Nuveen Core Bond Fund | (return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares) | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	2.73%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	3.40%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	2.79%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Jan. 09, 1995
Nuveen Core Bond Fund | Barclays Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	4.21%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	5.95%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	5.18%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	6.08%
Nuveen Core Bond Fund | Lipper Core Bond Classification Average (reflects no deduction for taxes or sales loads)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	6.17%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	5.72%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.86%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	6.39%

[1] The contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.

[2] Fee applies to the following types of accounts under $1,000 held directly with the Fund: individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and accounts established pursuant to the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA).

[3] The Fund's investment adviser has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse other Fund expenses through October 31, 2014 so that total annual fund operating expenses, after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements and excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, do not exceed 0.78%, 1.53% and 0.53% for Class A, Class C and Class I shares, respectively. Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will not be terminated prior to that time without the approval of the Fund's board of directors.

[4] Class A year-to-date total return as of September 30, 2013 was -2.43%.

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	NUVEEN INVESTMENT FUNDS INC
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Oct. 31, 2013
Nuveen Intermediate Government Bond Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	Nuveen Intermediate Government Bond Fund
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	The investment objective of the Fund is to provide investors with current income to the extent consistent with the preservation of capital.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	Fees and Expenses of the Fund
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts, as well as eligibility requirements for each share class, is available from your financial advisor and in “What Share Classes We Offer” on page 53 of the Fund’s prospectus, “How to Reduce Your Sales Charge” on page 56 of the prospectus and “Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares” on page S-97 of the Fund’s statement of additional information.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination	October 31, 2014
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock	The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 55% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	55.00%
Expenses Deferred Charges [Text Block]	rr_ExpensesDeferredChargesTextBlock	The contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.
Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts	You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds.
Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount	$ 50,000
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then either redeem or do not redeem your shares at the end of a period. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same, and the contractual fee waivers currently in place are not renewed beyond October 31, 2014. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Expense Example by, Year, Caption [Text]	rr_ExpenseExampleByYearCaption	Redemption
Expense Example, No Redemption, By Year, Caption [Text]	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionByYearCaption	No Redemption
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of the sum of its net assets and the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in U.S. Government bonds. U.S. Government bonds are securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities, including: U.S. Treasury obligations; Mortgage-backed securities issued by the Government National Mortgage Association, the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC); and Non-mortgage-related obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. Government agencies or instrumentalities, such as FNMA, FHLMC, Federal Farm Credit Banks, the Federal Home Loan Bank System, and the Tennessee Valley Authority, including obligations that are issued by private issuers and guaranteed under the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program. U.S. Treasury obligations and some obligations of U.S. Government agencies and instrumentalities are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. Other U.S. Government securities are backed by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury. Still others are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency or instrumentality. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets, collectively, in non-U.S. Government debt obligations, asset-backed securities, residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities, corporate debt obligations, and municipal securities. Such securities will be rated investment grade at the time of purchase or, if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality by the Fund’s sub-adviser. If the rating of a security is reduced or the credit quality of an unrated security declines after purchase, the Fund is not required to sell the security, but may consider doing so. In selecting securities for the Fund, the Fund’s sub-adviser first determines its economic outlook and the direction in which inflation and interest rates are expected to move. In selecting individual securities consistent with this outlook, the sub-adviser evaluates factors such as credit quality, yield, maturity, liquidity, and portfolio diversification. Under normal market conditions, the Fund attempts to maintain a weighted average effective maturity between three and ten years and an effective duration of between two and one-half and seven years. The Fund’s weighted average effective maturity and effective duration are measures of how the value of the Fund’s shares may react to interest rate changes. To generate additional income, the Fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in dollar roll transactions. In a dollar roll transaction, the Fund sells mortgage-backed securities for delivery in the current month while contracting with the same party to repurchase similar securities at a future date. The Fund may utilize the following derivatives: futures contracts; options on futures contracts, swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, security indexes and specific securities and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements. The Fund may enter into standardized derivatives contracts that are traded on domestic securities exchanges, boards of trade, or similar entities and non-standardized derivatives contracts traded in the over-the-counter market. The Fund may use these derivatives in an attempt to manage market risk, credit risk and yield curve risk, to manage the effective maturity or duration of securities in the Fund’s portfolio, or for speculative purposes in an effort to increase the Fund’s yield or to enhance returns. The use of a derivative is speculative if the Fund is primarily seeking to enhance returns, rather than offset the risk of other positions. The Fund may not use derivatives to gain exposure to a security or type of security that it would be prohibited by its investment restrictions from purchasing directly.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, listed alphabetically, include: Call Risk—If an issuer calls higher-yielding debt instruments held by the Fund, performance could be adversely impacted. Credit Risk—Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security may be unable or unwilling to make interest and principal payments when due and the related risk that the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the issuer’s ability or willingness to make such payments. Derivatives Risk—The use of futures contracts; options on futures contracts, swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, security indexes and specific securities and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements involves additional risks and transaction costs which could leave the Fund in a worse position than if it had not used these instruments. Derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest. As a result, a small investment in derivatives can result in losses that greatly exceed the original investment. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value. A derivative transaction also involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the contract to make required payments. Dollar Roll Transaction Risk—The use of dollar rolls can increase the volatility of the Fund’s share price, and it may have an adverse impact on performance unless the sub-adviser correctly predicts mortgage prepayments and interest rates. Income Risk—The Fund’s income could decline during periods of falling interest rates. Interest Rate Risk—Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Fund’s portfolio will decline because of rising interest rates. When interest rates change, the values of longer-duration debt securities usually change more than the values of shorter-duration debt securities. Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risk—These securities generally can be prepaid at any time, and prepayments that occur either more quickly or more slowly than expected can adversely impact the value of such securities. They are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that rising interest rates could cause mortgages or other obligations underlying the securities to be prepaid more slowly than expected, thereby lengthening the duration of such securities, increasing their sensitivity to interest rate changes and causing their prices to decline. A mortgage-backed security may be negatively affected by the quality of the mortgages underlying such security, the credit quality of its issuer or guarantor, and the nature and structure of its credit support.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund.
Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Text]	rr_RiskNotInsuredDepositoryInstitution	An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	Fund Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the potential risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at www.nuveen.com/performance or by calling (800) 257-8787.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The bar chart below shows the variability of the Fund’s performance from year to year for Class A shares.
Performance Availability Phone [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone	(800) 257-8787
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.nuveen.com/performance
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	Class A Annual Total Return
Bar Chart Narrative [Text Block]	rr_BarChartNarrativeTextBlock	The bar chart below shows the variability of the Fund’s performance from year to year for Class A shares. The performance of the other share classes will differ due to their different expense structures. The bar chart and highest/ lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	The bar chart and highest/ lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	During the ten-year period ended December 31, 2012, the Fund’s highest and lowest quarterly returns were 5.92% and -2.41%, respectively, for the quarters ended December 31, 2008 and June 30, 2004.
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2012
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate	rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate	All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred	rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred	After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans.
Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]	rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown	After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	The table below shows the variability of the Fund’s average annual returns and how they compare over the time periods indicated with those of a broad measure of market performance and an index of funds with similar investment objectives. All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans. Both the bar chart and the table assume that all distributions have been reinvested. Performance reflects fee waivers, if any, in effect during the periods presented. If any such waivers were not in place, returns would be reduced. Effective August 31, 2009, the Fund’s investment objective was changed from providing “current income that is exempt from state income tax” to providing “current income,” in each case to the extent consistent with preservation of capital. As of the same date, the Fund’s investment strategies were significantly broadened, consistent with this new investment objective. As a result, the performance information presented below reflects the performance of an investment portfolio that, prior to August 31, 2009, differed materially from the Fund’s portfolio thereafter.
Nuveen Intermediate Government Bond Fund | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	3.00%
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	15	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.47%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.25%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.29%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.01%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.16%)	[3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.85%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	384
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	596
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	826
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,485
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	384
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	596
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	826
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,485
2003	rr_AnnualReturn2003	1.55%	[4]
2004	rr_AnnualReturn2004	1.48%	[4]
2005	rr_AnnualReturn2005	1.63%	[4]
2006	rr_AnnualReturn2006	3.20%	[4]
2007	rr_AnnualReturn2007	7.76%	[4]
2008	rr_AnnualReturn2008	9.28%	[4]
2009	rr_AnnualReturn2009	(0.38%)	[4]
2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	5.30%	[4]
2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	4.98%	[4]
2012	rr_AnnualReturn2012	2.07%	[4]
Year to Date Return, Label	rr_YearToDateReturnLabel	year-to-date total return
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2013
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn	(1.20%)
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	highest
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Dec. 31, 2008
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	5.92%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	lowest
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Jun. 30, 2004
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(2.41%)
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(1.01%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	3.57%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	3.33%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Oct. 25, 2002
Nuveen Intermediate Government Bond Fund | Class C
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	1.00%	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	15	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.47%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	1.00%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.29%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.76%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.16%)	[3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.60%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	163
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	539
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	939
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	2,060
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	163
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	539
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	939
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	2,060
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	1.24%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	2.85%
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Oct. 28, 2009
Nuveen Intermediate Government Bond Fund | Class R3
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	none	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.47%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.50%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.29%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.26%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.16%)	[3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.10%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	112
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	384
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	676
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,509
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	112
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	384
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	676
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,509
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	1.78%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	3.31%
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Oct. 28, 2009
Nuveen Intermediate Government Bond Fund | Class I
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	15	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.47%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.29%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.76%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.16%)	[3]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.60%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	61
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	227
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	407
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	927
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	61
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	227
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	407
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	$ 927
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	2.25%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	4.36%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	3.80%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Oct. 25, 2002
Nuveen Intermediate Government Bond Fund | (return after taxes on distributions) | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(1.72%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	2.61%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	1.96%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Oct. 25, 2002
Nuveen Intermediate Government Bond Fund | (return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares) | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(0.66%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	2.50%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	2.10%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Oct. 25, 2002
Nuveen Intermediate Government Bond Fund | Barclays Intermediate Government Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	1.73%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	4.51%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.10%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	3.84%
Nuveen Intermediate Government Bond Fund | Lipper Intermediate U.S. Government Classification Average (reflects no deduction for taxes or sales loads)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	2.47%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	4.84%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.01%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	4.27%

[1] The contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.

[2] Fee applies to the following types of accounts under $1,000 held directly with the Fund: individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and accounts established pursuant to the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA).

[3] The Fund's investment adviser has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse other Fund expenses through October 31, 2014 so that total annual fund operating expenses, after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements and excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, do not exceed 0.85%, 1.60%, 1.10%, and 0.60% for Class A, Class C, Class R3, and Class I shares, respectively. Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will not be terminated prior to that time without the approval of the Fund's board of directors.

[4] Class A year-to-date total return as of September 30, 2013 was -1.20%.

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Nuveen Strategic Income Fund

Nuveen Strategic Income Fund

Investment Objective

The investment objective of the Fund is to provide investors with total return.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts, as well as eligibility requirements for each share class, is available from your financial advisor and in “What Share Classes We Offer” on page 53 of the Fund’s prospectus, “How to Reduce Your Sales Charge” on page 56 of the prospectus and “Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares” on page S-97 of the Fund’s statement of additional information.

Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees Nuveen Strategic Income Fund (USD $)		Class A	Class B	Class C	Class R3	Class I
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)		4.25%	none	none	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	[1]	none	5.00%	1.00%	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends		none	none	none	none	none
Exchange Fee		none	none	none	none	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	[2]	15	15	15	none	15

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses Nuveen Strategic Income Fund		Class A	Class B	Class C	Class R3	Class I
Management Fees		0.54%	0.54%	0.54%	0.54%	0.54%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees		0.25%	1.00%	1.00%	0.50%	none
Other Expenses		0.11%	0.11%	0.11%	0.11%	0.11%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses		0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		0.91%	1.66%	1.66%	1.16%	0.66%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	[1]	(0.06%)	(0.06%)	(0.06%)	(0.06%)	(0.06%)
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements		0.85%	1.60%	1.60%	1.10%	0.60%

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then either redeem or do not redeem your shares at the end of a period. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same, and the contractual fee waivers currently in place are not renewed beyond October 31, 2014. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Redemption

Expense Example Nuveen Strategic Income Fund (USD $)	A	B	C	R3	I
1 Year	508	663	163	112	61
3 Years	697	818	518	363	205
5 Years	902	997	897	633	362
10 Years	1,492	1,760	1,960	1,404	817

No Redemption

Expense Example, No Redemption Nuveen Strategic Income Fund (USD $)	A	B	C	R3	I
1 Year	508	163	163	112	61
3 Years	697	518	518	363	205
5 Years	902	897	897	633	362
10 Years	1,492	1,760	1,960	1,404	817

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 69% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of the sum of its net assets and the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in debt securities, including:

• U.S. government securities (securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities);

• residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities;

• asset-backed securities;

• domestic and foreign corporate debt obligations, including obligations issued by special-purpose entities that are backed by corporate debt obligations; and

• debt obligations of foreign governments.

The Fund may invest up to 30% of its total assets in non-U.S. dollar denominated debt obligations of foreign corporations and governments, including debt obligations issued by governmental and corporate issuers that are located in emerging market countries. The Fund may invest without limitation in U.S. dollar denominated securities of foreign issuers.

The Fund may invest up to 50% of its total assets in securities rated lower than investment grade or unrated securities of comparable quality as determined by the Fund’s sub-adviser (securities commonly referred to as “high yield” or “junk bonds”). The Fund will not invest in securities rated lower than CCC at the time of purchase or in unrated securities of comparable quality as determined by the Fund’s sub-adviser. If the rating of a security is reduced or the credit quality of an unrated security declines after purchase, the Fund is not required to sell the security, but may consider doing so. Unrated securities will not exceed 25% of the Fund’s total assets.

The Fund’s sub-adviser makes buy, sell, and hold decisions using a “top-down” approach, which begins with the formulation of the sub-adviser’s general economic outlook. Following this, various sectors and industries are analyzed and selected for investment. Finally, the sub-adviser selects individual securities within these sectors or industries. The sub-adviser also analyzes expected changes to the yield curve under multiple market conditions to help define maturity and duration selection.

To generate additional income, the Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in dollar roll transactions. In a dollar roll transaction, the Fund sells mortgage-backed securities for delivery in the current month while contracting with the same party to repurchase similar securities at a future date.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund attempts to maintain a weighted average effective maturity for its portfolio securities of fifteen years or less and an average effective duration of three to eight years. The Fund’s weighted average effective maturity and average effective duration are measures of how the value of the Fund’s shares may react to interest rate changes.

The Fund may utilize the following derivatives: options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; interest rate caps, collars, and floors; foreign currency contracts; options on foreign currencies; swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, currency rates, security indexes and specific securities, and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements. The Fund may enter into standardized derivatives contracts traded on domestic or foreign securities exchanges, boards of trade, or similar entities, and non-standardized derivatives contracts traded in the over-the-counter market. The Fund may use these derivatives in an attempt to manage market risk, currency risk, credit risk and yield curve risk, to manage the effective maturity or duration of securities in the Fund’s portfolio or for speculative purposes in an effort to increase the Fund’s yield or to enhance returns. The Fund may also use derivatives to gain exposure to non-dollar denominated securities markets to the extent it does not do so through direct investments. The use of a derivative is speculative if the Fund is primarily seeking to enhance returns, rather than offset the risk of other positions. The Fund may not use any derivative to gain exposure to a security or type of security that it would be prohibited by its investment restrictions from purchasing directly.

Principal Risks

The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, listed alphabetically, include:

Call Risk—If an issuer calls higher-yielding debt instruments held by the Fund, performance could be adversely impacted.

Credit Risk—Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security may be unable or unwilling to make interest and principal payments when due and the related risk that the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the issuer’s ability or willingness to make such payments.

Currency Risk—Changes in currency exchange rates will affect the value of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities, interest earned from such securities, gains and losses realized on the sale of such securities, and derivative transactions tied to such securities. A strong U.S. dollar relative to these other currencies will adversely affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio.

Derivatives Risk—The use of options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; interest rate caps, collars, and floors; foreign currency contracts; options on foreign currencies; swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, currency rates, security indexes and specific securities, and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements involves additional risks and transaction costs which could leave the Fund in a worse position than if it had not used these instruments. Derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest. As a result, a small investment in derivatives can result in losses that greatly exceed the original investment. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value. A derivative transaction also involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the contract to make required payments.

Dollar Roll Transaction Risk—The use of dollar rolls can increase the volatility of the Fund’s share price, and it may have an adverse impact on performance unless the sub-adviser correctly predicts mortgage prepayments and interest rates.

High Yield Securities Risk—High yield securities, which are rated below investment grade and commonly referred to as “junk” bonds, are high risk investments that may cause income and principal losses for the Fund. They generally have greater credit risk, are less liquid and have more volatile prices than investment grade securities.

Income Risk—The Fund’s income could decline during periods of falling interest rates.

Interest Rate Risk—Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Fund’s portfolio will decline because of rising interest rates. When interest rates change, the values of longer-duration debt securities usually change more than the values of shorter-duration debt securities.

Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risk—These securities generally can be prepaid at any time, and prepayments that occur either more quickly or more slowly than expected can adversely impact the value of such securities. They are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that rising interest rates could cause mortgages or other obligations underlying the securities to be prepaid more slowly than expected, thereby lengthening the duration of such securities, increasing their sensitivity to interest rate changes and causing their prices to decline. A mortgage-backed security may be negatively affected by the quality of the mortgages underlying such security, the credit quality of its issuer or guarantor, and the nature and structure of its credit support.

Non-U.S./Emerging Markets Risk—Non-U.S. issuers or U.S. issuers with significant non-U.S. operations may be subject to risks in addition to those of issuers located in or that principally operate in the United States as a result of, among other things, political, social and economic developments abroad and different legal, regulatory and tax environments. These additional risks may be heightened for securities of issuers located in, or with significant operations in, emerging market countries.

Fund Performance

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the potential risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at www.nuveen.com/performance or by calling (800) 257-8787.

The bar chart below shows the variability of the Fund’s performance from year to year for Class A shares. The performance of the other share classes will differ due to their different expense structures. The bar chart and highest/lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.

Class A Annual Total Return

During the ten-year period ended December 31, 2012, the Fund’s highest and lowest quarterly returns were 22.45% and -8.60%, respectively, for the quarters ended June 30, 2009 and September 30, 2008.

The table below shows the variability of the Fund’s average annual returns and how they compare over the time periods indicated with those of a broad measure of market performance and an index of funds with similar investment objectives. All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans.

Both the bar chart and the table assume that all distributions have been reinvested. Performance reflects fee waivers, if any, in effect during the periods presented. If any such waivers were not in place, returns would be reduced.

Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended
December 31, 2012

Average Annual Total Returns Nuveen Strategic Income Fund	1 Year	5 Years	10 Years
Class A	8.82%	7.36%	6.33%
Class A (return after taxes on distributions)	7.27%	5.32%	4.51%
Class A (return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares)	5.68%	5.04%	4.32%
Class B	7.89%	7.27%	5.98%
Class C	12.90%	7.46%	5.99%
Class R3	13.33%	7.91%	6.54%
Class I	14.04%	8.52%	7.05%
Barclays Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)	4.21%	5.95%	5.18%
Lipper Multi-Sector Income Classification Average (reflects no deduction for taxes or sales loads)	11.21%	7.02%	7.39%

[1] The contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC") on Class B shares declines over a six-year period from purchase. The CDSC on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.

[2] Fee applies to the following types of accounts under $1,000 held directly with the Fund: individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and accounts established pursuant to the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA).

[1] The Fund's investment adviser has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse other Fund expenses through October 31, 2014 so that total annual fund operating expenses, after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements and excluding Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, do not exceed 0.84%, 1.59%, 1.59%, 1.09%, and 0.59% for Class A, Class B, Class C, Class R3 and Class I shares, respectively. Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will not be terminated prior to that time without the approval of the Fund's board of directors.

[1] Class A year-to-date total return as of September 30, 2013 was -0.99%.

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	NUVEEN INVESTMENT FUNDS INC
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Oct. 31, 2013
Document Creation Date	dei_DocumentCreationDate	Oct. 28, 2013

XML

Nuveen Core Bond Fund

Nuveen Core Bond Fund
(formerly Nuveen Intermediate Term Bond Fund)

Investment Objective

The investment objective of the Fund is to provide investors with current income to the extent consistent with preservation of capital.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts, as well as eligibility requirements for each share class, is available from your financial advisor and in “What Share Classes We Offer” on page 53 of the Fund’s prospectus, “How to Reduce Your Sales Charge” on page 56 of the prospectus and “Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares” on page S-97 of the Fund’s statement of additional information.

Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees Nuveen Core Bond Fund (USD $)		Class A	Class C	Class I
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)		3.00%	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	[1]	none	1.00%	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends		none	none	none
Exchange Fee		none	none	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	[2]	15	15	15

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses Nuveen Core Bond Fund		Class A	Class C	Class I
Management Fees		0.45%	0.45%	0.45%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees		0.25%	1.00%	none
Other Expenses		0.09%	0.09%	0.09%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses		0.01%	0.01%	0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		0.80%	1.55%	0.55%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	[1]	(0.01%)	(0.01%)	(0.01%)
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements		0.79%	1.54%	0.54%

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then either redeem or do not redeem your shares at the end of a period. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same, and the contractual fee waivers currently in place are not renewed beyond October 31, 2014. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Redemption

Expense Example Nuveen Core Bond Fund (USD $)	A	C	I
1 Year	378	157	55
3 Years	547	489	175
5 Years	730	844	306
10 Years	1,259	1,845	688

No Redemption

Expense Example, No Redemption Nuveen Core Bond Fund (USD $)	A	C	I
1 Year	378	157	55
3 Years	547	489	175
5 Years	730	844	306
10 Years	1,259	1,845	688

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 85% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of the sum of its net assets and the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in bonds, such as:

• U.S. government securities (securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities), including zero coupon securities;

• residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities;

• asset-backed securities; and

• corporate debt obligations, including obligations issued by special-purpose entities that are backed by corporate debt obligations.

Bonds in the Fund will be rated investment grade at the time of purchase or, if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality by the Fund’s sub-adviser. If the rating of a security is reduced or discounted after purchase, the Fund is not required to sell the security, but may consider doing so. At least 65% of the Fund’s debt securities must be either U.S. government securities or securities that are rated A or better or are unrated and of comparable quality as determined by the Fund’s sub-adviser. If the rating of a security is reduced or the credit quality of an unrated security declines after purchase, the Fund is not required to sell the security, but may consider doing so. Unrated securities will not exceed 25% of the Fund’s total assets.

The Fund’s sub-adviser selects securities using a “top-down” approach, which begins with the formulation of the sub-adviser’s general economic outlook. Following this, various sectors and industries are analyzed and selected for investment. Finally, the sub-adviser selects individual securities within these sectors or industries.

The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in U.S. dollar denominated debt obligations of foreign corporations and governments.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund attempts to maintain a weighted average effective maturity for its portfolio securities of three to ten years and an average effective duration of two to six years. The Fund’s weighted average effective maturity and effective duration are measures of how the value of the Fund’s shares may react to interest rate changes.

To generate additional income, the Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in dollar roll transactions. In a dollar roll transaction, the Fund sells mortgage-backed securities for delivery in the current month while contracting with the same party to repurchase similar securities at a future date.

The Fund may utilize the following derivatives: options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; interest rate caps, collars, and floors; swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, security indexes and specific securities, and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements. The Fund may enter into standardized derivatives contracts traded on domestic or foreign securities exchanges, boards of trade, or similar entities, and non-standardized derivatives contracts traded in the over-the-counter market. The Fund may use these derivatives in an attempt to manage market risk, credit risk and yield curve risk, to manage the effective maturity or duration of securities in the Fund’s portfolio or for speculative purposes in an effort to increase the Fund’s yield or to enhance returns. The use of a derivative is speculative if the Fund is primarily seeking to enhance returns, rather than offset the risk of other positions. The Fund may not use any derivative to gain exposure to a security or type of security that it would be prohibited by its investment restrictions from purchasing directly.

Principal Risks

The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, listed alphabetically, include:

Call Risk—If an issuer calls higher-yielding debt instruments held by the Fund, performance could be adversely impacted.

Credit Risk—Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security may be unable or unwilling to make interest and principal payments when due and the related risk that the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the issuer’s ability or willingness to make such payments.

Currency Risk—Changes in currency exchange rates will affect the value of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities, interest earned from such securities, gains and losses realized on the sale of such securities, and derivative transactions tied to such securities. A strong U.S. dollar relative to these other currencies will adversely affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio.

Derivatives Risk—The use of options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; interest rate caps, collars, and floors; swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, security indexes and specific securities, and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements involves additional risks and transaction costs which could leave the Fund in a worse position than if it had not used these instruments. Derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest. As a result, a small investment in derivatives can result in losses that greatly exceed the original investment. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value. A derivative transaction also involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the contract to make required payments.

Dollar Roll Transaction Risk—The use of dollar rolls can increase the volatility of the Fund’s share price, and it may have an adverse impact on performance unless the sub-adviser correctly predicts mortgage prepayments and interest rates.

Income Risk—The Fund’s income could decline during periods of falling interest rates.

Interest Rate Risk—Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Fund’s portfolio will decline because of rising interest rates. When interest rates change, the values of longer-duration debt securities usually change more than the values of shorter-duration debt securities.

Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risk—These securities generally can be prepaid at any time, and prepayments that occur either more quickly or more slowly than expected can adversely impact the value of such securities. They are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that rising interest rates could cause mortgages or other obligations underlying the securities to be prepaid more slowly than expected, thereby lengthening the duration of such securities, increasing their sensitivity to interest rate changes and causing their prices to decline. A mortgage-backed security may be negatively affected by the quality of the mortgages underlying such security, the credit quality of its issuer or guarantor, and the nature and structure of its credit support.

Non-U.S./Emerging Markets Risk—Non-U.S. issuers or U.S. issuers with significant non-U.S. operations may be subject to risks in addition to those of issuers located in or that principally operate in the United States as a result of, among other things, political, social and economic developments abroad and different legal, regulatory and tax environments. These additional risks may be heightened for securities of issuers located in, or with significant operations in, emerging market countries.

Zero Coupon Bonds Risk—Because interest on zero coupon bonds is not paid on a current basis, the values of zero coupon bonds will be more volatile in response to interest rate changes than the values of bonds that distribute income regularly. Although zero coupon bonds generate income for accounting purposes, they do not produce cash flow, and thus the Fund could be forced to liquidate securities at an inopportune time in order to generate cash to distribute to shareholders as required by tax laws.

Fund Performance

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the potential risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at www.nuveen.com/performance or by calling (800) 257-8787.

The bar chart below shows the variability of the Fund’s performance from year to year for Class A shares. The performance of the other share classes will differ due to their different expense structures. The bar chart and highest/ lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.

Class A Annual Total Return

During the ten-year period ended December 31, 2012, the Fund’s highest and lowest quarterly returns were 9.70% and -5.11%, respectively, for the quarters ended June 30, 2009 and September 30, 2008.

The table below shows the variability of the Fund’s average annual returns and how they compare over the time periods indicated with those of a broad measure of market performance and an index of funds with similar investment objectives. All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans.

Both the bar chart and the table assume that all distributions have been reinvested. Performance reflects fee waivers, if any, in effect during the periods presented. If any such waivers were not in place, returns would be reduced.

Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended
December 31, 2012

Average Annual Total Returns Nuveen Core Bond Fund	Inception Date	1 Year	5 Years	10 Years	Since Inception
Class A	Jan. 09, 1995	3.35%	4.95%	4.24%
Class A (return after taxes on distributions)	Jan. 09, 1995	2.04%	3.48%	2.80%
Class A (return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares)	Jan. 09, 1995	2.73%	3.40%	2.79%
Class C	Jan. 18, 2011	5.68%			4.36%
Class I	Jan. 05, 1993	6.82%	5.77%	4.73%
Barclays Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)		4.21%	5.95%	5.18%	6.08%
Lipper Core Bond Classification Average (reflects no deduction for taxes or sales loads)		6.17%	5.72%	4.86%	6.39%

[1] The contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.

[2] Fee applies to the following types of accounts under $1,000 held directly with the Fund: individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and accounts established pursuant to the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA).

[1] The Fund's investment adviser has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse other Fund expenses through October 31, 2014 so that total annual fund operating expenses, after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements and excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, do not exceed 0.78%, 1.53% and 0.53% for Class A, Class C and Class I shares, respectively. Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will not be terminated prior to that time without the approval of the Fund's board of directors.

[1] Class A year-to-date total return as of September 30, 2013 was -2.43%.

XML

Nuveen Short Term Bond Fund

Nuveen Short Term Bond Fund

Investment Objective

The investment objective of the Fund is to provide investors with current income while maintaining a high degree of principal stability.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts, as well as eligibility requirements for each share class, is available from your financial advisor and in “What Share Classes We Offer” on page 53 of the Fund’s prospectus, “How to Reduce Your Sales Charge” on page 56 of the prospectus and “Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares” on page S-97 of the Fund’s statement of additional information.

Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees Nuveen Short Term Bond Fund (USD $)		Class A	Class C	Class R3	Class I
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)		2.25%	none	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	[1]	none	1.00%	none	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends		none	none	none	none
Exchange Fee		none	none	none	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	[2]	15	15	none	15

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses Nuveen Short Term Bond Fund		Class A	Class C	Class R3	Class I
Management Fees		0.39%	0.39%	0.39%	0.39%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees		0.25%	1.00%	0.50%	none
Other Expenses		0.09%	0.09%	0.09%	0.09%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		0.73%	1.48%	0.98%	0.48%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	[1]	(0.02%)	(0.02%)	(0.02%)	(0.02%)
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements		0.71%	1.46%	0.96%	0.46%

Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then either redeem or do not redeem your shares at the end of a period. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same and the contractual fee waivers currently in place are not renewed beyond October 31, 2014. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Redemption

Expense Example Nuveen Short Term Bond Fund (USD $)	A	C	R3	I
1 Year	296	149	98	47
3 Years	451	466	310	152
5 Years	620	806	540	267
10 Years	1,109	1,767	1,200	602

No Redemption

Expense Example, No Redemption Nuveen Short Term Bond Fund (USD $)	A	C	R3	I
1 Year	296	149	98	47
3 Years	451	466	310	152
5 Years	620	806	540	267
10 Years	1,109	1,767	1,200	602

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 42% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of the sum of its net assets and the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in bonds, such as:

• U.S. government securities, which are securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities;

• residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities;

• asset-backed securities;

• corporate debt obligations, including obligations issued by special-purpose entities that are backed by corporate debt obligations; and

• municipal securities.

Up to 20% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in securities rated lower than investment grade or unrated securities of comparable quality as determined by the Fund’s sub-adviser (securities commonly referred to as “high yield” or “junk bonds”). The Fund will not invest in securities rated lower than CCC at the time of purchase or in unrated securities of comparable quality as determined by the Fund’s sub-adviser. If the rating of a security is reduced or the credit quality of an unrated security declines after purchase, the Fund is not required to sell the security, but may consider doing so. Unrated securities will not exceed 5% of the Fund’s total assets.

The Fund may invest up to 35% of its total assets in debt obligations of foreign corporations and foreign governments. However, no more than 10% of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in debt obligations of corporations and governments that are located in emerging market countries. A country is considered to have an “emerging market” if it has a relatively low gross national product per capita compared to the world’s major economies, and the potential for rapid economic growth, provided that no issuer included in the Fund’s current benchmark index will be considered to be located in an emerging market country.

Up to 10% of the Fund’s total assets may have non-U.S. dollar currency exposure from non-U.S. dollar denominated securities and currency derivatives, calculated on an absolute notional basis (i.e., adding together the absolute value of net long and net short exposures to individual non-U.S. dollar currencies).

The Fund’s sub-adviser selects securities using a “top-down” approach which begins with the formulation of the sub-adviser’s general economic outlook. Following this, various sectors and industries are analyzed and selected for investment. Finally, the sub-adviser selects individual securities within these sectors or industries.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund attempts to maintain a weighted average effective maturity and an average effective duration for its portfolio securities of one to three years. The Fund’s weighted average effective maturity and effective duration are measures of how the value of the Fund’s shares may react to interest rate changes.

The Fund may utilize the following derivatives: options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; interest rate caps, collars, and floors; foreign currency contracts; options on foreign currencies; swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, currency rates, security indexes and specific securities, and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements. The Fund may enter into standardized derivatives contracts traded on domestic or foreign securities exchanges, boards of trade, or similar entities, and non-standardized derivatives contracts traded in the over-the-counter market. The Fund may use these derivatives in an attempt to manage market risk, currency risk, credit risk and yield curve risk, to manage the effective maturity or duration of securities in the Fund’s portfolio or for speculative purposes in an effort to increase the Fund’s yield or to enhance returns. The Fund may also use derivatives to gain exposure to non-dollar denominated securities markets to the extent it does not do so through direct investments. The use of a derivative is speculative if the Fund is primarily seeking to enhance returns, rather than offset the risk of other positions. The Fund may not use any derivative to gain exposure to a security or type of security that it would be prohibited by its investment restrictions from purchasing directly.

Principal Risks

The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, listed alphabetically, include:

Call Risk—If an issuer calls higher-yielding debt instruments held by the Fund, performance could be adversely impacted.

Credit Risk—Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security may be unable or unwilling to make interest and principal payments when due and the related risk that the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the issuer’s ability or willingness to make such payments.

Currency Risk—Changes in currency exchange rates will affect the value of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities, interest earned from such securities, gains and losses realized on the sale of such securities, and derivative transactions tied to such securities. A strong U.S. dollar relative to these other currencies will adversely affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio.

Derivatives Risk—The use of options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; interest rate caps, collars, and floors; foreign currency contracts; options on foreign currencies; swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, currency rates, security indexes and specific securities, and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements involves additional risks and transaction costs which could leave the Fund in a worse position than if it had not used these instruments. Derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest. As a result, a small investment in derivatives can result in losses that greatly exceed the original investment. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value. A derivative transaction also involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the contract to make required payments.

High Yield Securities Risk—High yield securities, which are rated below investment grade and commonly referred to as “junk” bonds, are high risk investments that may cause income and principal losses for the Fund. They generally have greater credit risk, are less liquid and have more volatile prices than investment grade securities.

Income Risk—The Fund’s income could decline during periods of falling interest rates.

Interest Rate Risk—Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Fund’s portfolio will decline because of rising interest rates. When interest rates change, the values of longer-duration debt securities usually change more than the values of shorter-duration debt securities.

Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risk—These securities generally can be prepaid at any time, and prepayments that occur either more quickly or more slowly than expected can adversely impact the value of such securities. They are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that rising interest rates could cause mortgages or other obligations underlying the securities to be prepaid more slowly than expected, thereby lengthening the duration of such securities, increasing their sensitivity to interest rate changes and causing their prices to decline. A mortgage-backed security may be negatively affected by the quality of the mortgages underlying such security, the credit quality of its issuer or guarantor, and the nature and structure of its credit support.

Non-U.S./Emerging Markets Risk—Non-U.S. issuers or U.S. issuers with significant non-U.S. operations may be subject to risks in addition to those of issuers located in or that principally operate in the United States as a result of, among other things, political, social and economic developments abroad and different legal, regulatory and tax environments. These additional risks may be heightened for securities of issuers located in, or with significant operations in, emerging market countries.

Fund Performance

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the potential risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at www.nuveen.com/performance or by calling (800) 257-8787.

The bar chart below shows the variability of the Fund’s performance from year to year for Class A shares. The performance of the other share classes will differ due to their different expense structures. The bar chart and highest/lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.

Class A Annual Total Return

During the ten-year period ended December 31, 2012, the Fund’s highest and lowest quarterly returns were 5.45% and -3.37%, respectively, for the quarters ended June 30, 2009 and December 31, 2008.

The table below shows the variability of the Fund’s average annual returns and how they compare over the time periods indicated with those of a broad measure of market performance and an index of funds with similar investment objectives. All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans.

Both the bar chart and the table assume that all distributions have been reinvested. Performance reflects fee waivers, if any, in effect during the periods presented. If any such waivers were not in place, returns would be reduced.

Average Annual Total Returns
for the Periods Ended
December 31, 2012

Average Annual Total Returns Nuveen Short Term Bond Fund	Inception Date	1 Year	5 Years	10 Years	Since Inception
Class A	Dec. 14, 1992	2.34%	2.76%	2.75%
Class A (return after taxes on distributions)	Dec. 14, 1992	1.48%	1.63%	1.62%
Class A (return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares)	Dec. 14, 1992	1.51%	1.69%	1.67%
Class C	Oct. 28, 2009	3.91%			2.03%
Class R3	Sep. 22, 2011	4.52%			3.93%
Class I	Feb. 04, 1994	4.96%	3.40%	3.15%
Barclays 1-3 Year Government/Credit Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)		1.26%	2.88%	3.13%	1.81%
Lipper Short Investment Grade Debt Classification Average (reflects no deduction for taxes or sales loads)		3.57%	2.84%	2.98%	2.92%

[1] The contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.

[2] Fee applies to the following types of accounts under $1,000 held directly with the Fund: individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and accounts established pursuant to the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA).

[1] The Fund's investment adviser has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse other Fund expenses through October 31, 2014 so that total annual fund operating expenses, after fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements and excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, do not exceed 0.72%, 1.47%, 0.97% and 0.47% for Class A, Class C, Class R3 and Class I shares, respectively. Fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements will not be terminated prior to that time without the approval of the Fund's board of directors.

[1] Class A year-to-date total return as of September 30, 2013 was 0.86%.

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	NUVEEN INVESTMENT FUNDS INC
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Oct. 31, 2013
Nuveen Inflation Protected Securities Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	Nuveen Inflation Protected Securities Fund
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	The investment objective of the Fund is to provide investors with total return while providing protection against inflation.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	Fees and Expenses of the Fund
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds. More information about these and other discounts, as well as eligibility requirements for each share class, is available from your financial advisor and in “What Share Classes We Offer” on page 53 of the Fund’s prospectus, “How to Reduce Your Sales Charge” on page 56 of the prospectus and “Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares” on page S-97 of the Fund’s statement of additional information.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock	The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 52% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	52.00%
Expenses Deferred Charges [Text Block]	rr_ExpensesDeferredChargesTextBlock	The contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.
Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts	You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the Fund or in other Nuveen Mutual Funds.
Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount	$ 50,000
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then either redeem or do not redeem your shares at the end of a period. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Expense Example by, Year, Caption [Text]	rr_ExpenseExampleByYearCaption	Redemption
Expense Example, No Redemption, By Year, Caption [Text]	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionByYearCaption	No Redemption
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of the sum of its net assets and the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in inflation protected debt securities. These securities will be issued by the U.S. and non-U.S. governments, their agencies and instrumentalities, and domestic and foreign corporations. The Fund’s investments in U.S. Government inflation protected securities will include U.S. Treasury inflation protected securities as well as inflation protected securities issued by agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. Government. Securities issued by the U.S. Treasury are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. Some securities issued by agencies and instrumentalities of the U.S. Government are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency or instrumentality. Inflation protected debt securities are designed to provide protection against the negative effects of inflation. Unlike traditional debt securities, which pay regular fixed interest payments on a fixed principal amount, interest payments on inflation protected debt securities will vary with the rate of inflation. The U.S. Treasury uses the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (CPI-U) as the inflation measure. Inflation protected debt securities issued by foreign governments and corporations are generally linked to a non-U.S. inflation rate. Inflation protected debt securities have two common structures. The U.S. Treasury and some other issuers use a structure that accrues inflation into the principal value of the bond. If the index measuring the rate of inflation rises, the principal value of the security will increase. Because interest payments will be calculated with respect to a larger principal amount, interest payments also will increase. Conversely, if the index measuring the rate of inflation falls, the principal value of the security will fall and interest payments will decrease. Other issuers adjust the interest rates payable on the security according to the rate of inflation, but the principal amount remains the same. In the event of sustained deflation, the U.S. Treasury has guaranteed that it will repay at maturity at least the original face value of the inflation protected securities that it issues. Other inflation protected debt securities that accrue inflation into their principal value may or may not provide a similar guarantee. For securities that do not provide such a guarantee, the adjusted principal value of the security repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal value. Up to 20% of the Fund’s assets may be invested in holdings that are not inflation protected, which may include: domestic and foreign corporate debt obligations; securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies and instrumentalities; debt obligations of foreign governments; residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities; asset-backed securities; and derivative instruments, as discussed below. When selecting securities for the Fund, the Fund’s sub-adviser uses a “top-down” approach, looking first at general economic factors and market conditions. The sub-adviser then selects securities that it believes have strong relative value based on an analysis of a security’s characteristics (such as principal value, coupon rate, maturity, duration and yield) in light of these general economic factors and market conditions. The sub-adviser will sell securities if the securities no longer meet these criteria, if other investments appear to be a better relative value, to manage the duration of the Fund, or to meet redemption requests. Up to 10% of the Fund’s net assets may be invested in securities that are rated lower than investment grade at the time of purchase or that are unrated and of comparable quality (securities commonly referred to as “high-yield” securities or “junk bonds”). The Fund will not invest in securities rated lower than B at the time of purchase or in unrated securities of comparable quality as determined by the Fund’s sub-adviser. If the rating of a security is reduced or the credit quality of an unrated security declines after purchase, the Fund is not required to sell the security, but may consider doing so. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in non-U.S. dollar denominated securities, and may invest without limitation in U.S. dollar denominated securities of foreign corporations and governments. The Fund may invest in debt securities of any maturity, but expects to maintain, under normal market conditions, a weighted average effective maturity of between eight and fifteen years and an average effective duration of between four and ten years. The Fund’s weighted average effective maturity and average effective duration are measures of how the Fund may react to interest rate changes. The Fund may utilize the following derivatives: options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; foreign currency contracts; options on foreign currencies; interest rate caps, collars, and floors; index- and other asset-linked notes; swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, currency rates, security indexes and specific securities, and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements. The Fund may enter into standardized derivatives contracts traded on domestic or foreign securities exchanges, boards of trade, or similar entities, and non-standardized derivatives contracts traded in the over-the-counter market. The Fund may use these derivatives in an attempt to manage market risk, currency risk, credit risk and yield curve risk, to manage the effective maturity or duration of securities in the Fund’s portfolio or for speculative purposes in an effort to increase the Fund’s yield or to enhance returns. The Fund may also use derivatives to gain exposure to non-dollar denominated securities markets to the extent it does not do so through direct investments. The use of a derivative is speculative if the Fund is primarily seeking to enhance returns, rather than offset the risk of other positions. The Fund may not use any derivative to gain exposure to a security or type of security that it would be prohibited by its investment restrictions from purchasing directly.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund, listed alphabetically, include: Call Risk—If an issuer calls higher-yielding debt instruments held by the Fund, performance could be adversely impacted. Credit Risk—Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security may be unable or unwilling to make interest and principal payments when due and the related risk that the value of a debt security may decline because of concerns about the issuer’s ability or willingness to make such payments. Currency Risk—Changes in currency exchange rates will affect the value of non-U.S. dollar denominated securities, interest earned from such securities, gains and losses realized on the sale of such securities, and derivative transactions tied to such securities. A strong U.S. dollar relative to these other currencies will adversely affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio. Derivatives Risk—The use of options; futures contracts; options on futures contracts; foreign currency contracts; options on foreign currencies; interest rate caps, collars, and floors; index- and other asset-linked notes; swap agreements, including swap agreements on interest rates, currency rates, security indexes and specific securities, and credit default swap agreements; and options on the foregoing types of swap agreements involves additional risks and transaction costs which could leave the Fund in a worse position than if it had not used these instruments. Derivatives may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest. As a result, a small investment in derivatives can result in losses that greatly exceed the original investment. Derivatives can be highly volatile, illiquid and difficult to value. A derivative transaction also involves the risk that a loss may be sustained as a result of the failure of the counterparty to the contract to make required payments. High Yield Securities Risk—High yield securities, which are rated below investment grade and commonly referred to as “junk” bonds, are high risk investments that may cause income and principal losses for the Fund. They generally have greater credit risk, are less liquid and have more volatile prices than investment grade securities. Income Risk—The Fund’s income could decline during periods of falling interest rates. In addition, because the interest and/or principal payments on inflation protected securities are adjusted periodically for changes in inflation, the income distributed by the Fund may be irregular. In a period of sustained deflation, the inflation protected securities held by the Fund, and consequently the Fund itself, may not pay any income. Index Methodology Risk—There can be no assurance that the U.S. or any foreign inflation index will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. Inflation Risk—If the rate of inflation falls, the principal value of and/or interest payments on inflation protected debt securities held by the Fund will decrease. Interest Rate Risk—Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of the Fund’s portfolio will decline because of rising interest rates. Inflation protected securities may react differently from other debt securities to changes in interest rates. Generally, the value of an inflation protected security is affected by changes in “real” interest rates, which are stated interest rates reduced by the expected impact of inflation. Values of these securities normally fall when real interest rates rise and rise when real interest rates fall. Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risk—These securities generally can be prepaid at any time, and prepayments that occur either more quickly or more slowly than expected can adversely impact the value of such securities. They are also subject to extension risk, which is the risk that rising interest rates could cause mortgages or other obligations underlying the securities to be prepaid more slowly than expected, thereby lengthening the duration of such securities, increasing their sensitivity to interest rate changes and causing their prices to decline. A mortgage-backed security may be negatively affected by the quality of the mortgages underlying such security, the credit quality of its issuer or guarantor, and the nature and structure of its credit support. Non-U.S./Emerging Markets Risk—Non-U.S. issuers or U.S. issuers with significant non-U.S. operations may be subject to risks in addition to those of issuers located in or that principally operate in the United States as a result of, among other things, political, social and economic developments abroad and different legal, regulatory and tax environments. These additional risks may be heightened for securities of issuers located in, or with significant operations in, emerging market countries. Tax Consequences of Inflation Adjustments—Because inflation adjustments to the principal amount of an inflation protected security will be included in the Fund’s income, the Fund may have to make income distributions to shareholders that exceed the cash it receives.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	The value of your investment in this Fund will change daily. You could lose money by investing in the Fund.
Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Text]	rr_RiskNotInsuredDepositoryInstitution	An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	Fund Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the potential risks of investing in the Fund. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at www.nuveen.com/performance or by calling (800) 257-8787.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The bar chart below shows the variability of the Fund’s performance from year to year for Class A shares.
Performance Availability Phone [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone	(800) 257-8787
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	www.nuveen.com/performance
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	Class A Annual Total Return
Bar Chart Narrative [Text Block]	rr_BarChartNarrativeTextBlock	The bar chart below shows the variability of the Fund’s performance from year to year for Class A shares. The performance of the other share classes will differ due to their different expense structures. The bar chart and highest/lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	The bar chart and highest/lowest quarterly returns that follow do not reflect sales charges, and if these charges were reflected, the returns would be less than those shown.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	During the eight-year period ended December 31, 2012, the Fund’s highest and lowest quarterly returns were 5.25% and -4.18%, respectively, for the quarters ended March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2008.
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2012
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate	rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate	All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred	rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred	After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans.
Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]	rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown	After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary.
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	The table below shows the variability of the Fund’s average annual returns and how they compare over the time periods indicated with those of a broad measure of market performance and an index of funds with similar investment objectives. All after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only; after-tax returns for other share classes will vary. Your own actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from what is shown here. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Fund shares in tax-deferred accounts such as IRAs or employer-sponsored retirement plans. Both the bar chart and the table assume that all distributions have been reinvested. Performance reflects fee waivers, if any, in effect during the periods presented. If any such waivers were not in place, returns would be reduced.
Nuveen Inflation Protected Securities Fund | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	4.25%
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	15	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.42%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.25%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.14%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.81%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	504
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	673
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	856
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,384
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	504
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	673
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	856
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,384
2005	rr_AnnualReturn2005	2.19%	[3]
2006	rr_AnnualReturn2006	(0.06%)	[3]
2007	rr_AnnualReturn2007	9.42%	[3]
2008	rr_AnnualReturn2008	(3.16%)	[3]
2009	rr_AnnualReturn2009	11.96%	[3]
2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	6.94%	[3]
2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	12.74%	[3]
2012	rr_AnnualReturn2012	6.40%	[3]
Year to Date Return, Label	rr_YearToDateReturnLabel	year-to-date total return
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2013
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn	(6.60%)
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	highest
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Mar. 31, 2008
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	5.25%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	lowest
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Dec. 31, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(4.18%)
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	1.88%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	5.90%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	5.27%
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Oct. 01, 2004
Nuveen Inflation Protected Securities Fund | Class C
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	1.00%	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	15	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.42%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	1.00%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.14%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.56%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	159
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	493
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	850
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,856
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	159
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	493
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	850
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,856
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	5.82%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	6.05%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	5.04%
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Oct. 01, 2004
Nuveen Inflation Protected Securities Fund | Class R3
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	none	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.42%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.50%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.14%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.06%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	108
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	337
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	585
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,294
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	108
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	337
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	585
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,294
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	6.16%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	6.41%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	5.50%
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Oct. 01, 2004
Nuveen Inflation Protected Securities Fund | Class I
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none	[1]
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Annual Low Balance Account Fee (for accounts under $1,000)	rr_MaximumAccountFee	15	[2]
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.42%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.14%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.56%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	57
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	179
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	313
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	701
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	57
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	179
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	313
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	$ 701
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	6.84%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	7.09%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	6.09%
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Oct. 01, 2004
Nuveen Inflation Protected Securities Fund | (return after taxes on distributions) | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	1.19%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	4.83%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	4.01%
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Oct. 01, 2004
Nuveen Inflation Protected Securities Fund | (return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares) | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	1.21%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	4.42%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	3.75%
Inception Date	rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate	Oct. 01, 2004
Nuveen Inflation Protected Securities Fund | Barclays U.S. TIPs Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	6.98%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	7.04%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	6.41%
Nuveen Inflation Protected Securities Fund | Lipper Inflation Protected Bond Classification Average (reflects no deduction for taxes or sales loads)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	6.52%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	6.01%
Since Inception	rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception	5.82%

[1] The contingent deferred sales charge on Class C shares applies only to redemptions within 12 months of purchase.

[2] Fee applies to the following types of accounts under $1,000 held directly with the Fund: individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and accounts established pursuant to the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) or Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA).

[3] Class A year-to-date total return as of September 30, 2013 was -6.60%.

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Document Type	dei_DocumentType	485BPOS
Document Period End Date	dei_DocumentPeriodEndDate	Jun. 30, 2013
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	NUVEEN INVESTMENT FUNDS INC
Central Index Key	dei_EntityCentralIndexKey	0000820892
Amendment Flag	dei_AmendmentFlag	false
Document Creation Date	dei_DocumentCreationDate	Oct. 28, 2013
Document Effective Date	dei_DocumentEffectiveDate	Oct. 31, 2013
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Oct. 31, 2013