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When no subjects are enrolled in a study, it typically results in the need to refund any funds that were allocated for subject payment back to the sponsor. This is standard practice because the sponsorship funds are usually provided on the expectation that subject participation will occur. Since there are no enrolled subjects to compensate, it is necessary and expected that the funds will be returned to the sponsor in accordance with the financial agreements established prior to the study.

Other options may appear plausible, but they do not accurately reflect the usual protocols in clinical research. For instance, transferring funds to the sponsor (like the first option) does not account for the absence of required deliverables (enrolled subjects), and keeping the funds indefinitely (as suggested in the second option) is not justifiable under most contractual agreements. Similarly, the idea of crediting the funds towards future enrollments (the fourth option) goes against standard practices in clinical trial financing and accounting, as it would not address the immediate necessity of refunding the sponsor for unutilized funds.