Minister of State for Overseas Development Peter Power announced that the aid was being granted in response to rising food prices and shortages.
The eight centres are part of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).
“More than 850m people across the world today are hungry, while high food prices risk pushing 100m additional people over the edge into hunger and poverty,” said Mr Power.
CGIAR, which was established to achieve sustainable food security and reduce poverty in developing countries through scientific research, has noted that parallel to the food shortage and price rises is a water crisis.
Colin Chartres, the International Water Management Institute’s director general said the reasons for water scarcity “are much the same as those that account for the food price crisis”.