The Global Community Studies Project is an ambitious analysis of the development in 105 countries of 12 applied social research disciplines, including community-focused psychology, sociology and social work. Results include that these professional fields and indigenous training resources are lacking or weakest in the countries where they are most needed, that a history and culture of political activism supports the growth of local applied community research, but that foreign aid funding tends to displace or inhibit local growth of applied community sciences. It is important to know which countries need the most assistance developing their own applied community studies research and training infrastructure in different sectors and disciplines.