First American Investment Funds, Inc.

This summary prospectus is designed to provide investors with key fund information in a clear and concise format. Before you invest, you may want to review the fund’s complete prospectus, which contains more information about the fund and its risks. You can find the fund’s prospectus and other information about the fund online at www.nuveen.com/MF/resources/eReports.aspx. You can also get this information at no cost by calling (800) 257-8787 or by sending an e-mail request to mutualfunds@nuveen.com. If you purchase shares of the fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the prospectus and other information will also be available from your financial intermediary. The fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, both dated March 21, 2011, are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus and may be obtained, free of charge, at the website, phone number or e-mail address noted above.

The investment objective of the fund is to provide current income that is exempt from federal income tax to the extent consistent with preservation of capital.

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 on purchases of Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 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 65 of the prospectus, “How to Reduce Your Sales Charge” on page 67 of the prospectus and “Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares” on page 106 of the fund’s statement of additional information.

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

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 all of your shares at the end of a period. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and 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:

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 45% of the average value of its portfolio.

Under normal market conditions, as a fundamental policy, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in municipal securities that pay interest that is exempt from federal income tax, including the federal alternative minimum tax.

The fund normally may invest up to 20% of its net assets in taxable obligations, including obligations the interest on which is subject to the federal alternative minimum tax.

The fund invests mainly in securities that, at the time of purchase, are either rated investment grade or are unrated and determined to be of comparable quality by the fund’s sub-adviser. However, the fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in securities that, at the time of purchase, are rated lower than investment grade or are unrated and of comparable quality (securities commonly referred to as “high-yield” securities or “junk bonds”). If the rating of a security is reduced or discontinued 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, portfolio diversification, and geographical diversification. The sub-adviser conducts research on potential and current holdings in the fund to determine whether the fund should purchase or retain a security. This is a continuing process, the focus of which changes according to market conditions, the availability of various permitted investments, and cash flows into and out of the fund.

The fund will attempt to maintain the average effective duration of its portfolio securities at three and one-half years or less under normal market conditions.

The fund may utilize futures contracts and options on futures contracts in an attempt to manage market risk, credit risk and yield curve risk, and to manage the effective maturity or duration of securities in the fund’s portfolio. The fund may not use such instruments to gain exposure to a security or type of security that it would be prohibited by its investment restrictions from purchasing directly.

The price and yield of this fund will change daily due to changes in interest rates and other factors, which means you could lose money. 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 governmental agency. The principal risks of investing in this fund are described below:

Active Management Risk—Because the fund is actively managed, the fund could underperform its benchmark or other mutual funds with similar investment objectives.

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

Credit Risk—The issuer of a debt security could suffer adverse changes in financial condition that result in a payment default or a downgrade of the security. Parties to contracts with the fund could default on their obligations.

Futures Contract Risk—The use of futures contracts involves additional risks and transaction costs which could leave the fund in a worse position than if it had not used these instruments. Futures contracts may entail investment exposures that are greater than their cost would suggest. As a result, a small investment in futures contracts could have a large impact on performance.

High-Yield Securities Risk—High-yield securities generally are less liquid, have more volatile prices, and have greater credit risk than investment grade securities.

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

Interest Rate Risk—Interest rate increases can cause the value of debt securities to decrease.

Liquidity Risk—Trading opportunities are more limited for debt securities that have received ratings below investment grade.

Municipal Lease Obligations Risk—Participation interests in municipal leases pose special risks, including non-appropriation risk which may result in the fund not recovering the full principal amount of the obligation.

Political and Economic Risks—The values of municipal securities held by the fund may be adversely affected by local political and economic conditions and developments. Adverse conditions in an industry significant to a local economy could have a correspondingly adverse effect on the financial condition of local issuers.

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 or by calling (800) 257-8787.

The bar chart below provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund by showing changes in 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.

During the eight-year period ended December 31, 2010, the fund’s highest and lowest quarterly returns were 2.74% and -1.56%, respectively, for the quarters ended September 30, 2009 and September 30, 2008.

The table provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund by showing the variability of the fund’s average annual returns and how they compare over the time periods indicated to that of the Barclays Capital 3-Year Municipal Bond Index, the fund’s benchmark index, which is a broad measure of market performance, and to that of the Lipper Short Municipal Debt Funds Category Average benchmark. The Barclays Capital 3-Year Municipal Bond Index is an unmanaged index comprised of fixed-rate, investment-grade tax-exempt bonds with remaining maturities between two and four years. The Lipper Short Municipal Debt Funds Category Average benchmark is a custom benchmark that represents funds that invest primarily in municipal debt issues with dollar-weighted average maturities of less than three years. The performance information reflects sales charges and fund expenses. 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 any fee waivers in effect during the periods presented. If these waivers were not in place, performance would be reduced.

You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the fund on any business day, which is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open for business. You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the fund through a financial advisor or other financial intermediary or directly from the fund. The fund’s initial and subsequent investment minimums generally are as follows, although the fund may reduce or waive the minimums in some cases:

The fund intends to make distributions that are exempt from regular federal income tax. All or a portion of these distributions, however, may be subject to the federal alternative minimum tax and state and local taxes.

If you purchase shares of the fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank or financial advisor), the fund, its distributor or its investment adviser may pay the intermediary for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.


	Class A		Class I
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)		2.50%		None
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the lesser of purchase price or redemption proceeds)		None		None
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends		None		None
Exchange Fees		None		None


	Class A		Class I
Management Fees		0.44%		0.44%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees		0.20%		0.00%
Other Expenses		0.10%		0.10%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses		0.02%		0.02%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses¹		0.76%		0.56%


	Redemption				No Redemption
	A		I		A		I
1 Year	$	326	$	57	$	326	$	57
3 Years	$	487	$	179	$	487	$	179
5 Years	$	662	$	313	$	662	$	313
10 Years	$	1,169	$	701	$	1,169	$	701


			Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2010
	Inception Date		1 Year			5 Years			Since Inception
Nuveen Short Tax Free Fund:
Class A (return before taxes)		10/25/02		(0.68	)%		2.50	%		2.29	%
Class A (return after taxes on distributions)				(0.68	)%		2.50	%		2.28	%
Class A (return after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares)				0.11	%		2.50	%		2.32	%
Class I (return before taxes)		10/25/02		1.98	%		3.17	%		2.76	%
Barclays Capital 3-Year Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)				1.81	%		4.22	%		2.89	%
Lipper Short Municipal Debt Funds Category Average (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)				1.21	%		2.55	%		2.30	%


	Title	Portfolio Manager of Fund Since:
Christopher L. Drahn, CFA	Senior Vice President	October 2002


	Class A	Class I
Eligibility and Minimum Initial Investment	$3,000	Available only through fee-based programs, and to other limited categories of investors as described in the prospectus. $100,000 for all accounts except: • $250 for clients of financial intermediaries that have accounts holding Class I shares with an aggregate value of at least $100,000 (or that are expected to reach this level). • No minimum for certain other categories of eligible investors as described in the prospectus.
Minimum Additional Investment	$100	No minimum.


Nuveen Investments		1


2		Nuveen Investments


Nuveen Investments		3


4		Nuveen Investments