Applications were formally assessed by, and only by, the Global Research Awards For Nicotine Dependence (GRAND) Review Committee, an independent committee comprising internationally prominent researchers in the field. Following an initial round of review, the GRAND Review Committee convened on June 27, 2008, to formally discuss the applications and determine the recipients of the GRAND awards for 2008. The final responsibility for selection of awardees rested with the co-chairs of the Review Committee.

In their evaluation, the Committee members considered the application in its totality, including the following factors:
• Scientific merit of the research proposal
• Qualifications of the Applicant
• Relevance of proposed research to the GRAND Program's mission statement
• Evidence of the Applicant's commitment to an academic research career
• Evidence of a suitable research environment

Review Committee Members 
 
Karl Fagerström, PhD, Co-chair
Fagerström Consulting AB
Helsingborg, Sweden

Scott Leischow, PhD, Co-chair
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona, USA

David Balfour, PhD
University of Dundee
Dundee, United Kingdom

Christian Chiamulera, PharmD
University of Verona
Verona, Italy

Jonathan Foulds, MA, MAppSci, PhD
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)
Newark, New Jersey, USA

J. Taylor Hays, MD
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota, USA

Edward Sellers, MD, PhD
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Maxine Stitzer, PhD
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Philip Tonnesen, MD
Gentofte University Hospital
Copenhagen, Denmark

Serena Tonstad, MD, PhD, MPH
University of Oslo
Oslo, Norway

Rachel Tyndale, PhD
University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Robert West, PhD
University College London
London, United Kingdom