Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	NUVEEN INVESTMENT FUNDS INC
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Oct. 31, 2014
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 65 of the Fund’s prospectus, “How to Reduce Your Sales Charge” on page 68 of the prospectus and “Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares” on page S-103 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, 2015
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 50% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	50.00%
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 that the contractual fee waivers currently in place are not renewed beyond October 31, 2015. 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; corporate debt obligations, including obligations issued by special-purpose entities that are backed by corporate debt obligations; and municipal securities in an amount not to exceed 20% of the Fund’s net assets. 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” securities 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: Bond Market Liquidity Risk—Primary dealer inventories of bonds appear to be low relative to the size of the fixed income market. These inventories are a core indication of dealers’ capacity to “make a market” in fixed income securities. This reduction in market making capacity has the potential to decrease liquidity and increase price volatility in the fixed income markets in which the Fund invests, particularly during periods of economic or market stress. As a result of this decreased liquidity, the Fund may have to accept a lower price to sell a security, sell other securities to raise cash, or give up an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on performance. If the Fund needed to sell large blocks of bonds to meet shareholder redemption requests or to raise cash, those sales could further reduce the bonds’ prices. 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 derivatives involves additional risks and transaction costs which could leave the Fund in a worse position than if it had not used these instruments. Derivative instruments can be used to acquire or to transfer the risk and returns of a security or other asset without buying or selling the security or asset. These instruments 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. The Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates than would normally be the case due to the current period of historically low rates and the effect of potential government fiscal policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives. 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. 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. 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 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, 2013, 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, 2013
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	0.13%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.84%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.07%)	[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	675
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	865
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,412
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	500
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	675
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	865
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,412
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]
2013	rr_AnnualReturn2013	0.24%	[4]
Year to Date Return, Label	rr_YearToDateReturnLabel	year-to-date total return
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate	Sep. 30, 2014
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return	rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn	4.94%
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	(4.02%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	7.79%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.17%
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	0.13%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.59%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.07%)	[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	495
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	859
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,883
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	155
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	495
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	859
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,883
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(0.60%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	7.91%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	3.83%
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	0.14%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.10%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.08%)	[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	342
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	598
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,333
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	104
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	342
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	598
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,333
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(0.05%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	8.48%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.40%
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	0.14%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.60%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	(0.08%)	[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	184
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	327
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	742
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	53
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	184
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	327
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	$ 742
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	0.54%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	9.03%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.88%
Nuveen Core Plus Bond Fund | (return after taxes on distributions) | Class A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(5.93%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	6.08%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	2.54%
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	(2.01%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	5.46%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	2.60%
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	(2.02%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	4.44%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.55%
Nuveen Core Plus Bond Fund | Lipper Core Plus Bond Classification Average (reflects no deduction for taxes or sales loads)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	(0.99%)
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	7.05%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	4.81%

[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, 2015 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, 2014 was 4.94%. The performance of the other share classes will differ due to their different expense structures.