 Construction of the new institute building couldn’t be completed, however, until the Defense Department and Veterans Affairs awarded another $20 million for the project in 1996 and 1997.On October 22, 1998, The University of Florida officially opened the doors to its world-class, UFBI building.The UFBI was renamed the Evelyn F. & William L. McKnight Brain Institute of the University of Florida (MBI) to celebrate and commemorate a $15 million gift from the McKnight Brain Research Foundation.