How one computer science professor is using data to fight development aid fraud.

The work of lifting countries out of poverty is never easy. But Eric Rozier thought he could make it far more effective.

Rozier is a computer science professor at Iowa State with a penchant for data science who saw a big problem at the World Bank. Every year the Bank issues development loans across the world. Some are earmarked for projects to help countries or regions improve infrastructure and basic living standards — think access to clean water and medicine. But each project is complex, and requires many international suppliers to provide many goods and services to make them a reality. Unsurprisingly, the supplier selection process is competitive.In an ideal world, the contract would go to the company that offers the best combination of price and quality. And then, the development project would be underway.