Humans trained in education research have long been considered the sole experts in interpreting learning and the quality of learning environments. But when such judgement relies on the interpretation of text, the process can be slow and labor intensive, thereby limiting how quickly and effectively educators can respond to changing student needs. While natural language processing (NLP) cannot replace human interpretation, recent advances now allow it to be strategically integrated with human insight to enable more comprehensive and objective models of student learning with remarkable fidelity. These same technologies are already transforming the understanding and prediction of cognition in psychology and related social sciences. The Natural Language Processing in STEM Education Research Institute (NLP Assist) will increase the capacity of individuals invested in STEM education to understand student learning, explore teacher experiences, and ultimately support high quality learning that keeps pace with changes in societal priorities and student needs. The Institute will train approximately 120 STEM education researchers—graduate students, faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and research staff—from universities and nonprofits in applying NLP to their areas of research. Training will combine proven teaching and organizational methods and include a 2-day in-person immersion, an eight-week online workshop series, and mini-sessions at national conferences. Participants will gain