Hey, saying collecting samples is "grunt work" .. I feel a bit insulted now :P - I actually LIKE taking samples and it takes quite a bit of scientific knowledge to do it right ;)

Still - I can imagine that some of the people are scientists of different fields, but I still hold to that it is probably a lot cheaper to give someone a helicopter and some good masks if he is sent to take samples or look at rocks than to make a really expensive Avatar. The purpose of that whole Avatar program is "to look like them to get their trust" - so it is all about the NA'Vi. That such an Avatar also can move around more freely on Pandora is certainly a cool thing, but I doubt it would justify the expenses for the RDA.

Humans would be much more vulnerable to attack and injury.