A new memo by NIH Acting Director Matthew Memoli, obtained by Forbes, clarifies what can and can’t be done with regard to clinical trials, purchasing, research and the like.

The halt has frozen research grants, meetings and key health updates. “Everything is basically in chaos,” said one cancer researcher.

Despite concerns about the future of research at the National Institutes of Health, current clinical trials can continue as scheduled, the agency’s acting director told staff scientists in an email Monday.