(CNN) They live in different places, work at different universities and dedicate their careers to studying different topics. But there's one thing at least four of this year's US Nobel Prize laureates share.

They're immigrants.

That's in keeping with a long-running trend, according to a recent report from the National Foundation for American Policy. Immigrants have won 38% of the Nobel Prizes awarded to Americans in chemistry, medicine and physics since 2000, and 35% of the Nobel Prizes awarded to Americans in those fields since 1901, the foundation says.

"These achievements by immigrants point to the gains to America of welcoming talent from across the globe," the foundation's report notes. "The findings do not mean America should welcome only Nobel Prize winners. Such a policy would be quite restrictive."

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